TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Baiq Nuril cannot stop smiling after the President’s letter regarding her amnesty request is being processed in the House of Representatives (DPR).

“One step closer,” said Nuril while smiling ear to ear in Parliament complex, Senayan, Tuesday, July 16.

After the President’s letter No. R-28/Pres/07/2019 concerning pardon for Nuril was read out in the plenary meeting on Tuesday, DPR speakers further discussed it during the steering committee (Bamus).

“The meeting concludes Commission III is tasked to make consideration,” said DPR deputy speaker Agus Hermanto in Parliament complex, Senayan, Tuesday, July 16.

House speaker Bambang Soesatyo expressed optimism that the discussion in Commission III will run well and will grant amnesty for Nuril. “As long as it's a humanitarian issue, I think we all do share a similar view,” said Bambang in the same location.

Bambang guaranteed the commission discussion will not take a long time and will complete at least before the plenary meeting closing on July 25. “It may finish faster, hopefully. I’m sure that Commission III will complete it quickly,” he said.

Baiq Nuril, a former staffer of a senior high school in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, was found guilty of spreading a recording of "immoral content" that exposed the school headmaster`s verbal sexual harassment against her. She was sentenced to six months behind bars and Rp500 million fine. The Supreme Court (MA) had rejected her appeal.

DEWI NURITA