Jakarta, InfoPublik - The House of Representatives (DPR) legislation body chair Supratman Andi Agtas dismissed an accusation that the house had not introduced the Job Creation (Omnibus) Draft Law to the public. Supratman affirmed that the house had explained the draft law in various occasions, for instance in a webinar discussing halal fatwa with the Indonesian Ulema council (MUI).

"I guarantee that we have conducted public hearing. I have even conveyed the draft law in a number of occasions including in a webinar discussing halal fatwa with the Indonesian Ulema Council," he said in Jakarta, Friday, Oct. 23.

Supratman who was also the chair of Job Creation Draft Law working committee recalled that as a result of discussion MUI wanted the halal fatwa establishment shall be remain under its authority. "And we [the Working Committee] adhere to the agreement between the government with the DPR," said Supratman.

The Committee had also adopted the inputs from the Press Council, the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI), and the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI) on the exclusion of the press cluster from the Draft Law.

"We consider the public decision and we hear all the public inputs. Eventually, DPR and the government exclude the Press Law [Law No. 40 of 1999] from the draft law. And we agree to stop its deliberation in the Omnibus Law," said Supratman.

Furthermore, the committee heard all the protests from various social religious organizations, both Islamic organizations and other religious organizations, related to the education cluster in the draft law.

"They want the cluster to be excluded from the Omnibus Law. Eventually, we and the government declared that all six laws related to the national education are dismissed from the Job Creation Draft Law," said Supratman.

There are also inputs from the Association of Indonesian Regency Governments (Apkasi), the Association of Indonesian Municipal Governments (Apeksi), and the Association of Indonesian Provincial Governments (APPSI) related to the division of authority between central and local governments. 

"We heard all inputs, so we change the concept submitted by the government in the draft sent to the DPR. It was very centralized, but in the end we and the government have reached an agreement. All regional government authorities are not taken over. In contrary, it was simplified by giving certainties in duration and permit application," said Supratman. (Writer: Wandi, Editor: Isma, Translator: Filmon Leonard Warouw)