DPR Agrees to Postpone RUU PAS Ratification

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The plenary meeting today agreed to postpone the ratification of correctional facilities or PAS draft bill (RUU PAS), after the discussion between the House of Representatives (DPR) speakers, the House Commission III, and Legal and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly.

"Are we all agreed on the suggestion to halt the ratification?" said the House deputy speaker Fahri Hamzah during the plenary meeting in the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, September 24.

"Agreed," all meeting participants answered.

Before the agreement was made, five minutes after the plenary meeting kicked off at 11:30 a.m, the session was suspended for 15 minutes. Four House speakers and four leaders of Law Commission listened to the government's letter delivered by Minister Yasonna in light of the need to defer the ratification of PAS draft bill.

Previously, the DPR speakers along with faction heads, and the House's Commission Law met President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at Merdeka Palace. The head of PAS draft bill working committee, Erma Suryani Ranik, said that the President directly ordered the lawmakers to halt the ratification of four draft bills.

"The government demand postponement to pass the Criminal Code draft bill as well as three others, namely RUU PAS, mineral and coal draft bill, and lands draft bill," Erma told reporters before the plenary meeting.

Erma explained the postponement of RUU PAS ratification was carried out since the Criminal Code draft bill was halted to be passed into law.

Fikri Arigi