TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Prosperous Justice Party or PKS faction still insisted on rejecting the ratification of the sexual violence crime bill (RUU TPKS) over the lack of policy points that were considered vital in the draft bill.

A member of the PKS faction in the House of Representatives (DPR), Ledia Hanifa, said the House’s Legislation Body has not yet fulfilled her faction's requests as of yesterday.

Among the points that PKS wished to be included in the bill are criminal regulations on sexual freedom or premarital sex as well as penalties for those who commit sexual deviations.

“The problem is, the final draft doesn't meet these points,” Ledia told Tempo on Wednesday, January 12.

Previously reported, a number of DPR members, including Speaker Puan Maharani, expressed optimism that the bill would be passed next week. Intensive discussions in the Legislative Body have been taking place since the last year and have changed the name of the bill from the previous bill on elimination of sexual violence to sexual violence crime bill.

According to Ledia, it was important for her faction to include the principle that sexual relationships outside of marriage can be criminally prosecuted as religious principles are fundamental. “We see that our culture cannot be equated with the notion of consent as set in the western countries,” she underlined.

PKS has not changed its stance since the beginning of discussions of the bill on sexual violence crime. Other than PKS, the United Development Party (PPP) also wanted regulations in which premarital sex can be penalized. The Golkar Party faction, meanwhile, asked for the ratification of RUU TPKS to be postponed for at least the next few months until all factions shared the same view.

Read: Govt Said to Be 'On Same Page' with DPR in Sexual Violence Crime Bill

INDRI MAULIDAR