7 PPLN Kuala Lumpur Defendant Of Election Cheating Sentenced To 4 Months In Prison

Seven members of the Kuala Lumpur Foreign Election Committee (PPLN) were founded in a verdict hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court, Jakarta, Thursday (21/3/2024). (ANTARA/Fath Putra Mulya)

JAKARTA - Seven members of the Kuala Lumpur Foreign Election Committee (PPLN) were sentenced to four months in prison with 1 year probation in cases of falsification of data and a list of voters for the 2024 General Election in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"Sentenced the defendants 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 each with imprisonment for four months," said Chief Judge Buyung Dwikora reading the verdict at the Central Jakarta District Court as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, March 21.

They were also sentenced to a fine of Rp. 5 million each. With the provision that if the fine is not paid, then a substitute sentence is imposed in the form of imprisonment for 2 months.

The seven defendants are the Head of PPLN Kuala Lumpur Umar Faruk; Member of PPLN Kuala Lumpur Finance Division Tita Octavia Cahya Rahayu; and Member of PPLN Kuala Lumpur Data and Information Division Dicky Saputra;

Then, Member of PPLN Kuala Lumpur, Aprijon HR Division, Member of PPLN Kuala Lumpur, Puji Sumarsono Socialization Division; Member of PPLN Kuala Lumpur, Technical Division of Election Implementation A. Khalil; and Member of PPLN Kuala Lumpur, Masduki Logistics Division, Khamdan Muchamad.

The judge stated that he was legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a criminal act by intentionally committing an unlawful act of falsifying data and voter lists either as ordering, committing, or participating in doing so.

They were declared to have violated Article 544 of Law No. 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

However, the defendants did not need to serve a prison sentence on condition that they did not commit another crime during the trial period of 1 year.

"Determining the length of the sentence does not need to be served unless there is a judge's decision that determines otherwise because the convict commits a criminal act before the probation period ends for 1 year," said Buyung.

The aggravating things considered by the panel of judges, namely that the defendants as election organizers should carry out their duties and functions in accordance with applicable regulations with caution.

"As a result of the actions of the defendants, a re-vote was carried out," continued Buyung.

Meanwhile, mitigating things are that the defendants have never been convicted before, most of them are students and female students who are currently studying postgraduate education in Malaysia, and the defendant has family responsibilities, except for defendants 2 and 3.

"The results of a series of criminal acts committed by the defendants ranging from determining the DPT to voting have been disallowed and have been declared invalid by the Indonesian KPU on the recommendation of the Indonesian Bawaslu and re-voting on March 10, 2024," said Buyung.

In this case, seven inactive members of PPLN Kuala Lumpur were charged with falsifying data and lists of foreign voters for the 2024 General Election in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The prosecutors believed the defendants entered incorrect and invalid data because it did not match the results of the deed into the Temporary Voter Data (DPS), became a DPS Results Improvement (DPSHP), and was later determined to be a DPT.

The defendants are also said to have moved the list of voters for the Voting Place (TPS) method to the Mobile Voice Box (KSK) and Post methods in data conditions and unknown or incomplete voter addresses.