Puan Explains The Reason Why The PPRT Bill Has Not Been Ratified By The DPR: Still Needs In-depth Investigation

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani. (Antanews)

JAKARTA - The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, explained the reason why the DPR had not yet ratified the Draft Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT). Puan said that the postponement of the PPRT Bill was brought to a plenary meeting because it still needed further investigation.

This, said Puan, was a joint decision at the DPR leadership meeting (Rapim) to postpone the agenda of the PPRT Bill at the Deliberative Body (Bamus) meeting.

The Legislation Body (Baleg) letter regarding the PPRT Bill has been discussed in the DPR leadership meeting (Rapim) on August 21, 2021. At that time, Rapim's decision agreed to look at the situation and conditions first. At that time, it was deemed not appropriate to be scheduled for an agenda in the Bamus meeting and still needed further investigation," said Puan, in a statement received Thursday, March 9. Regarding the decision, continued Puan, the PPRT Bill could not be brought to the DPR Plenary Meeting to be ratified as a DPR initiative bill because it had not been discussed in the Bamus Meeting.

"Therefore, the PPRT Bill has not been scheduled in the Bamus Meeting to be scheduled in a plenary meeting to approve the bill as a Bill on the Proposal of the DPR Initiative," explained Puan.

The former Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture emphasized that in order to bring him to the plenary session, the PPRT Bill must first be discussed in the deliberation body meeting. Puan reminded that the legislative discussion must follow the existing mechanism.

"According to the rules, before being brought to the Plenary Meeting, you must first get approval at the Bamus Meeting," he said.

Nevertheless, the chairman of the PDIP DPP ensured that the DPR would consider the input and aspirations of the community in the formation of legislation.

"The DPR RI will consider the aspirations of the community by taking into account the current situation and conditions," said Puan.

Previously, hundreds of women members of the "Civil Coalition for the PPRT Law" held a demonstration in front of the DPR Building, Senayan, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, March 8. They ordered in front of the DPR Building while conveying their aspirations asking DPR Speaker Puan Maharani to immediately ratify the Domestic Workers Protection Bill (RUU PPRT). This action is also in commemoration of International Women's Day.

Protesters also unfurled a large banner with the words 1000 Women Search for Mbak Puan, Immediately Pass the PPRT Bill (Creation of the Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers).

In addition to jumbo-sized banners, the female mass also held a theatrical by bringing tools for households and cooking utensils while chanting Mbak Puan ratified the PPRT Bill''. There were also those who wrote "Mbak Puan takes care of the State Only, for Washing Clothes let Us alone" on one of the posters. Action Coordinator of Mahardhika Women, Mutiara Ika explained, in commemoration of International Women's Day at the protesters asking that the Speaker of the DPR always immediately bring the PPRT Bill to a plenary meeting to be ratified into law (UU). "As the chairman of the DPR who is also the chairman of the DPR to immediately bring the PPRT Bill to the agenda of the Plenary Session, separate it into the initiative bill of the DPR for the protection of household workers," said Mutiara, Wednesday, March 8.

According to him, if the PPRT Bill is not passed immediately, it will add to the record that domestic workers (PRT) are victims of acts of violence.

"So when we postpone something, it means we add 11 domestic workers to the victims of violence," he explained.

Currently, he added, household workers have difficulty advocating especially when they become victims of violence.

"PRT victims find it difficult to administer the cases they experience in the work environment because the situation is that they are not necessarily workers. So they are difficult. Why should the PPRT Bill be ratified immediately," he concluded.