Various community groups, including retired military/police, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Muhammadiyah, NU, and other organizations, urged the DPR to stop the discussion process of the HIP billJakarta (ANTARA) - People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Deputy Chairman Hidayat Nur Wahid opined that the government should urge the House of Representatives (DPR) to not only postpone but stop discussions on the Pancasila Ideology Guidelines (HIP) bill.
"Various community groups, including retired military/police, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Muhammadiyah, NU, and other organizations, urged the DPR to stop the discussion process of the HIP bill," Wahid noted in a statement here on Wednesday.
If the government were to take a decision to stop discussion on the HIP bill, it would align with its rationale to channel greater attention to handling the COVID-19 pandemic, he explained.
"This is since if it is only postponed, it is akin to delaying a ticking time bomb and still creating public unrest. However, if it is stopped, it will bring peace, and the people can be invited by the Government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic," he stated.
Furthermore, the leaders of DPR and the House of Representatives’ Legislation Body (Baleg) can immediately apply the government's decision to postpone discussion on the HIP bill.
"As before, the House of Representatives can fulfill the government's request to postpone deliberations on the job creation bill. Currently, it can also meet the government's request," he stated.
However, Wahid also called on the need to remind the government that not all factions in the Indonesian Parliament were on the same page in terms of discussing the HIP Bill.
According to Wahid, the PKS faction and the Democratic party faction had not signed the HIP bill proposal to become the DPR initiative bill.
"At the plenary meeting some time back, the PKS faction firmly conveyed its official stance of rejecting discussion on the HIP bill," he stated.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam), Mahfud MD, stated that the government had delayed discussion on the HIP bill with the DPR.
"The bill is the House of Representatives’ proposal that was submitted to the government. After the president spoke to several circles and studied its contents, the government decided to postpone or request the DPR to postpone discussion on the HIP bill," Mahfud stated.
The government also urged the DPR to hold dialog and absorb further aspirations with all societal elements.
"Hence, the government did not send a presidential letter for the discussion. That is the procedural aspect," Mahfud revealed.
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Translator: Imam B, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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