Insult Article Enters Complaint Delict, Wamenkumham: President Must Report It Himself

JAKARTA - Articles of insulting the president and vice president in the draft Law (RUU) of the Criminal Code (KUHP) have pros and cons. Because, in addition to the 5-year prison sentence, the article was previously canceled by the Constitutional Court (MK).

Responding to this, Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights (Wamenkumham) Eddy Omar Sharief Hiariej explained that the article was a complaint offense. Where, the article on insulting the head of state is different from the article that was revoked by the Constitutional Court.

“In terms of the division of offenses, the article on insults which was revoked by the Constitutional Court is an ordinary offense. Meanwhile, the KHUP Bill is a complaint offense," explained Eddy at the DPR building, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 9.

Because of the complaint, Eddy stressed that the president and vice president must make their own reports on the case in question.

"If the offense is a complaint, it is the president or vice president who must report it themselves," he said.

Previously, the Minister of Law and Human Rights (Menkumham) Yasonna Laoly said that the article on insulting the president in the RKUHP was aimed at limiting people's freedom of expression.

"I think we will become very liberal if we allow (insulting the president, ed)," Yasonna said during a working meeting at Commission III of the DPR, Wednesday, June 9.

He gave an example, when criticized for not being optimal in serving as Menkumham, he did not have a problem. However, it is different, if what is attacked is his dignity as an individual.

"If I am criticized, the Menkum HAM is incompetent, prisons, immigration, that's fine with me. But if you attack my dignity once. For example, if I am said to be an illegitimate child, well, that's not what I can do in my village. me, if I am a child of the PKI, if I can't, I will spoil you," he explained.