Speaking to the press in Jakarta on Tuesday, Mu'ti noted that implementing the policy requires consultations between the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry, the Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry, the Religious Affairs Ministry, and the Women Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry.
"We all need to gather to discuss this matter," he remarked after opening the International Conference on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy.
He explained that such coordination is necessary since his ministry lacks direct authority to restrict access to online games deemed dangerous. The ministry, he said, can only submit proposals concerning negative content within such games.
Mu'ti added that his office had submitted such proposals before President Prabowo's statement, although it acknowledges that certain online games also provide educational benefits.
"We have stated that online games offer benefits as media for education. In short, this matter has become a lengthy academic discourse. On the other side, the absence of monitoring of gaming has become a problem," he remarked.
He urged a participative and comprehensive approach to address the issue, reiterating the need for dialogue and collaboration.
On Sunday (November 9), Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi revealed that President Prabowo had raised the possibility of restricting access to online games following the blasts at Public High School 72 Jakarta.
"Mr. President emphasized the need to consider limiting access to online games and identify ways to avert their adverse impacts," Hadi told the press after a meeting with the head of state in Jakarta.
He specifically mentioned PUBG, citing its potential to make Indonesian youth familiar with weapons and normalize violence.
The policy consideration followed police findings that a student from the school was allegedly behind two explosions that injured at least 96 people on Friday afternoon (November 7).
Public discussions on social media have since polarized into two views: one linking the incident to the suspect's emotional distress possibly caused by bullying, and the other pointing to his exposure to violent online content.
The latter assumption is reinforced by the discovery of two toy gun replicas at the school, one bearing writings associated with extremism and the names of several perpetrators of mass violence abroad.
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Translator: Hana D, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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