Tengku Zulkarnain Protests Jokowi Opens The Door For Alcohol Investment Permits: Pak Ma'ruf Amin Is Not Ashamed, MUI's Voice?

Illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Former high-ranking Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) officials, Ustaz Tengku Zulkarnain, protested after President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) opened an investment permit for the alcoholic or alcoholic industry.

This investment is only made in certain areas from large to small scale.

According to Tengku Zul, as soon as he was called, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin had to have an opinion on this matter because it was a package with President Jokowi. As a Pancasila country, it is inappropriate for this investment permit to be a doorway for profit.

"This country is Gemah Ripah Loh Jinawi, it doesn't deserve to make money for the state using the way of producing alcohol and selling alcohol. Has the source of the money gone bankrupt that you have to produce and sell alcohol to earn money? Is Mr. Ma'ruf Amin not ashamed? "Tengku Zul emphasized in his Twitter tweet, @ustadtengkuzul, quoted on Friday, February 26.

Capture the screen of Ustaz Zulkarnain's twitter account

According to him, Ma'ruf Amin must speak up because this is a responsibility in the hereafter. Moreover, Ma'ruf is a kyai and chairman of the central MUI Advisory Council.

"You speak up because Pak Kyai has one package and one responsibility in the hereafter. I'm afraid that prostitution and gambling will be opened later," said Tengku Zul.

The alcohol investment license is regulated in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 10 of 2021 concerning the Investment Business Sector which was signed by Jokowi on February 2, 2021. The regulation is a derivative of Law (UU) Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation.

In Article 2 paragraph 1 of Perpres 10/2021 it is written, "all business fields are open to investment activities, except those that are declared closed for investment or for activities that can only be carried out by the central government."

Attachments for business fields that may receive investment flows are contained in three attachments. In the third appendix, the alcoholic liquor industry is listed on the 31st list. It is stated that the conditions for investment can be made in the provinces of Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi, Papua.

"By paying attention to local culture and wisdom," wrote appendix III in the Perpres.

Furthermore, alcoholic investments made outside the areas mentioned above must be stipulated by the Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) based on the governor's proposal.

The same permits and conditions also apply to the wine alcoholic beverage industry. With this license, the alcoholic beverage industry can obtain investment injections from foreign, domestic, cooperative, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) investors.

Foreign investment may flow with a value of more than IDR 10 billion, excluding land and buildings. However, it is obligatory to form a limited liability company (PT) based on Indonesian law and domiciled in the country.