Menkum Admits No Problem Initiating The Asset Confiscation Bill

JAKARTA - Minister of Law (Menkum) Supratman Andi Agtas admitted that he did not question the initiative of the Asset Confiscation Bill if there was a change in the list of bills in the 2025-2029 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).

The reason is for the government, he said, the party proposing the bill is not important.

"The important thing is that the bill is completed. Whether later in the amendment to the National Legislation Program will be the government's initiative or there is an allegation that the House of Representatives (DPR) wants to take over," Supratman said at a press conference in Jakarta, Wednesday, was confiscated by Antara.

Supratman explained that the Asset Confiscation Bill had been communicated by President Prabowo Subianto with the general chairmen of political parties.

Currently, the Government is waiting for the DPR recess period to then discuss the 2025 program for changes, which will be discussed in it regarding the continuation of the Asset Confiscation Bill.

The Minister of Law and Human Rights said that he had asked the Director General of Legislation of the Ministry of Law, who is responsible for compiling the National Legislation Program with the DPR and the Regional Representative Council (DPD), to immediately communicate with the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR and the DPD Law Affairs Agency (BUU).

"Therefore, once again we will follow the process, wait until the next prolegnas," he said.

The Asset Confiscation Bill is included in the 2025-2029 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). However, the bill was not included in the 2025 Priority Prolegnas.

Deputy Chairman of the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR RI, Sturman Panjaitan, wants the Bill on Asset Confiscation to be included in the 2026 Priority Prolegnas.

To achieve this, said Sturman in Jakarta, Wednesday (4/12/2024), the bill that is included in the 2025 Priority Prolegnas must be discussed in the DPR.

There are 41 bills that are included in the priority by 2025, which are proposed by 13 commissions in the DPR, Baleg, government, and DPD.

Previously, the Spokesperson for the President of the Republic of Indonesia and the Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said that the government is currently still discussing the substance of the Asset Confiscation Bill (RUU) so that there is no plan to issue a new presidential letter (surpres) to the DPR RI.

"It has not yet reached the stage of issuing the surpres. We are intensively communicating about the fundamental substance in the bill," said Prasetyo Hadi in response to reporters' questions in Jakarta, Friday (9/5).

The Asset Confiscation Bill has been rolling for almost two decades, since it was first proposed by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) in 2008.

The bill was included in the National Legislation Program in 2023, and the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo in the same year, also sent a presidential letter (surpres) of the Asset Confiscation Bill as a bill proposed by the government to be discussed together with the DPR RI. However, so far the bill has not been formally discussed either by the government or the DPR RI.