Getting Attention From President, DPR Prioritizes TPKS Bill Immediately In Plenary

Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad. (Photo: dpr.go.id)

JAKARTA - Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, stated that he would prioritize the draft Law on the Crime of Sexual Violence (RUU TPKS) to be immediately brought to plenary. This is so that the government can immediately send a presidential letter (surpres) for discussion.

"We will prioritize Bamus so that it can be sent to the government and the President sends a presidential decree for later discussion," said Dasco at the DPR Building, Wednesday, January 5.

The TPKS Bill, he continued, has become President Jokowi's attention. So that the bill, which is the proposal of the DPR's initiative, will soon be enacted.

Then a letter from President Joko Widodo could soon be issued to assign parties from the government to discuss it with the DPR.

"Pak Jokowi is paying attention, which means that he will pick up the ball until a letter from the DPR will definitely be sent down the surpres and the DIM," explained the daily chairman of the Gerindra Party.

According to Dasco, the TPKS Bill is a legal umbrella that will provide justice to victims of sexual violence. Moreover, the council has received many complaints from the public so that the bill is immediately ratified. Instead of stalling, Dasco said that the bill has not yet been finalized because he does not want the legislation product to be of poor quality.

"Because of that, Baleg has been paying attention and the Legislature is a bit cautious, so that before yesterday's trial he was short on completion. So instead we are not slow, but we want the law to be perfect and good," said Dasco. Previously, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA) will immediately follow up on President Joko Widodo's direction regarding the acceleration of the establishment of the Sexual Violence Act (TPKS), which has been in process since 2016 until now in the DPR. For this reason, it is necessary to take strategic steps to encourage its acceleration.

"In his statement, the President specifically ordered the Minister of Law and Human Rights and the Minister of PPPA to immediately coordinate and consult with the DPR. KemenPPPA is ready to carry out this task," said PPPA Minister Bintang Puspayoga in a statement, Tuesday, January 4.