DPD Urges DPR To Approve Alcoholic Beverage Prohibition Bill This Year

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Parliament passed 33 drafts or revisions of laws that were included in the 2021 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) through a plenary meeting, Tuesday, March 23.

Of the 33 bills, the Bill on the Prohibition of Alcoholic Drinks (LMB) is one of the priorities that will be discussed and passed this year.

Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) member Fahira Idris assessed that the draft of the LMB Bill was very accommodating and comprehensive. Referring to the provisions of the last discussion, this bill already has a formulation of strict legal sanctions and has a very strong dimension of child protection against the negative effects of drinking alcohol.

"This bill is very accommodating. So ideally, when it is discussed, it will not find significant or protracted problems as discussed in previous years," Fahira said in Jakarta, Friday, March 26.

In addition, according to him, the collaborative element is also very good because it involves the community together with elements of the Government, Regional Government, and law enforcers in supervising the activities of producing, importing, storing, distributing, selling, and consuming an alcoholic drink.

"Even though the title is 'prohibition', but in fact, the bill aims to make alcohol only for limited purposes, not a product that is free to produce, sell, or consume," he said.

Arrangements like this, he continued, were also carried out by many other countries, even countries that have a habit of drinking alcohol, such as European and American countries. According to Fahira, it must be regulated strictly because this mineral has many impact dimensions ranging from health, child protection, accidents, crime, and other social impacts.

"I hope that in 2021, this country already has a law that strictly regulates the issue of Minol so that our long wait, especially parents for decades, will be paid off," said Fahira.

Fahira explained, one of the important points of the LMB Bill is the provision in article 8, that the prohibition for everyone to produce, distribute, sell, and consume class A, class B, class C, traditional mineral and mixed or concocted alcohol does not apply. For limited interests, namely customary interests, religious rituals, tourists, pharmacies, and places are permitted by statutory regulations.

"So one of the places where this bill accommodates is that all prohibitions are excluded for limited interests. All these limited interests will be regulated in more detail in government regulations after this bill becomes law," explained the chairman of the National Anti-Alcohol Movement.

"So in my opinion there is nothing to worry about. The few who reject this bill, in my opinion, have not read it completely and clearly," Fahira added.