Ministers representing various portfolios from finance to labor and small businesses and the environment joined the briefing, each of them speaking from behind their masks as concern rose among the public about the implications of the law, passed on Monday by the House of Representatives. The omnibus law, which revises more than 79 laws and eliminates thousands of previous provisions, is aimed at boosting investment and creating jobs in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

“We believe it’s important to provide the right information so as to avoid misinformation,” said Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartato, who had been in charge of the bill’s deliberation. “The Job Creation Law aims at simplifying, synchronizing and cutting regulations from a hyper-regulatory environment that can impede job creation.”

Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah, Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Teten Masduki, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil, Industry Minister Agung Gumiwang, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly and Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman Bahlil Lahadalia attended the meeting in the conference room. Maritime and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif joined virtually.

Labor unions, activists and other civil society groups have been taking to the streets to oppose the law since its passage on Monday, as it could strip labor rights and pose environmental risks. They also claim the law did not go through a proper and transparent deliberation and legislation process, saying some articles were drafted without prior public consultation with relevant parties.

The National Police chief has issued an internal circular to counter protests against the law by carrying out “cyber patrols” and “media management” to control the narrative. The police have also called for early intelligence gathering to detect opposition within labor groups and the general public to prevent mass protests, claiming that such events could lead to “anarchy” and “social conflicts” in regions across the country.

In the air-conditioned conference room, Airlangga argued that to prevent Indonesia falling into the middle-income trap a lot of new jobs had to be created in the country, which is experiencing a “demographic bonus” whereby the productive population outnumbers that of nonproductive people.

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