Constitutional Court Rejects Gambling, Deputy Chairperson Of MPR Reminds Legalization Proposal

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nur Wahid. (ANTARA)

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly, Hidayat Nur Wahid, reminded that the proposed legalization of gambling or casinos had been rejected by the Constitutional Court (MK) because it was contrary to moral, religious, security and public order values adopted by the Indonesian constitution.

According to him, the Constitutional Court rejected the proposal through a judicial review of the Criminal Code (KUHP) and Law Number 7 of 1974 concerning Control of Gambling. He conveyed this in response to the proposal of one of the members of the Indonesian House of Representatives so that Indonesia "legalizes" casino gambling as a new object of non-tax state revenue (PNBP).

"If gambling is illegal, the damaged effect can be very large and even make Indonesia an emergency online gambling, especially if gambling (starting from a casino) is even legalized," said the man who is familiarly called HNW in a written statement received in Jakarta, Saturday.

Philosotically, according to him, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia is a constitution based on law and based on God Almighty as stated in the opening and basis of the Pancasila state, and reaffirmed in Article 1 paragraph (3) and Article 29 paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.

This, he said, was strengthened by applicable religious values and was regulated into many articles.

"Graditions in all types including casinos and online gambling (judol) are clearly rejected and contrary to these Constitutional values," he said.

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He said, although the turnover of gambling is very large and can provide economic benefits for the country and the state, it does require a lot of budget, it does not mean that to get a lot of money it must be done by legalizing all means, including legalizing gambling such as casinos.

Therefore, according to him, it is appropriate for Indonesian citizens to obey only the laws that apply in Indonesia, not others.

He said that President Prabowo Subianto was committed to enforcing the law and presenting a clean government, of course, including being free from corruption and gambling.

Moreover, he said, the legal instruments made by the DPR and the government regarding the illegal gambling were sufficient, namely that there was a firm threat of punishment for the organizers and perpetrators of gambling as regulated in the Criminal Code and the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.

"It is important that DPR members help think about adding state revenues outside of tax, but efforts to increase state revenues are not carried out with sources prohibited by the applicable law in Indonesia," he said.