TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) touched on issues of the bill of Pancasila Ideology Guidelines or RUU HIP during a meeting with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at Bogor Palace on Wednesday, July 8.

The MPR Speaker Bambang Soesatyo said his side asked about the government’s position related to the controversial bill. "The President firmly stated that the government was still conducting studies based on public inputs to date and has ordered the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs to handle it," said Bambang, whose nickname Bamsoet, after the session.

The bill proposed by the House of Representatives (DPR) sparked public outcry. The government has not voiced strong rejection against the bill thus far. The government lastly announced that the bill deliberation was postponed while receiving people’s input.

The DPR was still waiting for the government's decision. Meanwhile, the bill generated public protest and was urged to be revoked as it contained several controversial articles, including Article 7 on the basic characteristics of Pancasila, namely the “trisila” (three principles): socio-nationalism, socio-democracy, and cultural divinity.

The trisila was crystallized in “ekasila” (one principle) of mutual cooperation or gotong royong. The article stipulated three keywords: trisila, ekasila, and cultural divinity, that was considered to refer to Pancasila established on June 1, 1945, instead of during the Preparatory Committee for Independence (PPKI) meeting.

Parties opposed the RUU HIP also questioned the absence of the Temporary People’s Consultative Assembly Decree (TAP MPR) No. XXV/1966. The decree inked by the MPRS head Gen. AH Nasution noted the Indonesian Communism Party as a prohibited organization and the ban on the spread of communism, Marxism, and Leninism teachings.

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DEWI NURITA