TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Julius Ibrani, legal aid coordinator at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) said that the draft bill on tobacco only favored the cigarette industry.
"The law has been sugarcoated to give an impression that it favors farmers," Julius said in Central Jakarta on Thursday, August 25, 2016.
According to Julius, the draft bill on tobacco had been discussed over the last few years under different labels. Julius claimed that the draft bill violated the law at least in three matters.
First, Julius said that the draft bill triggered an apparent enthusiasm among lawmakers, particularly among House's Legislation Body members. Julius pointed out that there were at least 14 articles similar to previous laws. Second, the draft bill on tobacco was not disseminated or publicly announced. Finally, Julius revealed that a law should not be drafted based on a ministerial regulation, but on the 1945 Constitution.
Julius noticed another irregularity when the Legislation Body conducted work visits to three provinces, namely Central Java, East Java, and West Nusa Tenggara to discuss the draft bill.
"To our knowledge, the bill draft has not passed the harmonization," Julius said, adding that the work visits conducted by lawmakers were illegal. "They could get facilities from the cigarette industry."
Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, chairman of the Muhammadiyah's youth wing (PP Muhammadiyah), said that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had the right to expose a corruption potential behind the attempt to pass the tobacco draft bill.
"Almost all tobacco draft bills don't favor farmers," Dahnil said.
ODELIA SINAGA
