DPR Urges Government To Follow Supreme Court Decision On Halal Vaccine

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Member of the Commission IX Vaccine Working Committee (Panja) of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Kurniasih Mufidayati, urged the government to follow the Supreme Court's (MA) Decision Number 31P/HUM/2022 which requires the provision of halal COVID-19 vaccines, especially for Muslims.

"The government must show political will with the Supreme Court ruling regarding the use of halal vaccines," Kurniasih told journalists in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Monday, May 9.

According to him, the Supreme Court's decision is a legal decision that must be obeyed so that the government through the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) must as much as possible seek the community's needs for halal vaccines.

He said Commission IX of the House of Representatives from the beginning had a commitment regarding the use of halal vaccines because some people were still reluctant to participate in the COVID-19 vaccination program for one of the reasons for the safety and halalness of the vaccine to be injected into the body.

"We at the DPR have asked the Ministry of Health to pay close attention to halal vaccines. This is to assist the government in achieving the COVID-19 vaccination target because there are still those who refuse because of the halal reason of the vaccine," he said.

He asked the government and related parties to immediately establish communication to agree on the steps that must be taken to follow up on the Supreme Court Decision.

According to him, Commission IX of the DPR will continue to encourage the government to comply with the Supreme Court's decision and have a commitment to the use of halal vaccines.

"Currently the DPR is still in recess, but we will continue to push it and will never stop, especially since there is already a Supreme Court decision. This decision will be our material after the recess and we will evaluate the extent to which the government has followed up," he said.

Previously, in its ruling Number 31 P/HUM/2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia stated that Article 2 of Presidential Regulation Number 99 of 2020 concerning the Procurement of Vaccines and Vaccinations in the Context of Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic was contrary to higher laws and regulations, namely the provisions of Article 4 Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Guarantee of Halal Products.

“The government (Minister of Health, Committee for Handling Corona Virus Disease 2019/COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery, and Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency), is obliged to provide protection and guarantees regarding the halalness of the type of COVID-19 Vaccine stipulated for the implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination. in the territory of Indonesia," reads a copy of the Supreme Court's decision.

In addition, the Supreme Court stated that Article 2 of the Presidential Regulation has no binding legal force as long as it is not interpreted: "The government (Minister of Health, Committee for Handling Corona Virus Disease 2019/COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery, and Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency), must provide protection and guarantee regarding the halalness of the type of COVID-19 Vaccine specified for the implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination in the territory of Indonesia”