PDIP: It Is Dangerous If The DPR MKD Is Used As A Facilities To ' Cut Its Tongue' Legislator

Member of Commission VI DPR RI Rieke Diah Pitaloka. (Between)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the DPP PDI Perjuangan (PDIP) Deddy Yevry Sitorus reminded that the purpose of establishing the Honorary Council of the DPR RI was not to curb legislators from speaking in expressing their aspirations.

"The MKD should have been made to protect the freedom of DPR members to speak, not to curb or punish. It is very dangerous for the DPR if the MKD is used as a means to 'cut the tongue' of its members," said Deddy in a statement received in Jakarta, Monday, December 30, confiscated by Antara.

This was conveyed by Deddy in response to the plan of the DPR RI MKD to summon member of Commission VI DPR RI Rieke Diah Pitaloka regarding alleged violations of the code of ethics for his statements on social media regarding the rejection of the increase in value added tax (VAT) to 12 percent which was considered provocative based on incoming complaints.

"In my opinion, what the MKD has done will have an impact on the critical power of DPR members and have the potential to make people lose confidence in DPR institutions," he said.

Because, he said, the DPR RI institution has the potential to just be a stamp on power when every critical attitude of council members is framed as a crime through "community complaints" to the MKD of the DPR RI.

"Something that is certainly contrary to the reason the DPR created an institution called the MKD," he said.

He said that the DPR RI is an institution that carries out the function of checking and balances for the management of government power. The function is carried out and manifested by its members.

For this reason, he assessed that what should be questioned is if the member of the DPR RI is ignorant, immune to duties, and the aspirations of the community because parliament comes from the word "parle" which means "talk".

"In my opinion, what should be examined by the MKD is members of the DPR who have never spoken, either in the courtroom or to the public through mainstream media or social media," he said.

Deddy then said, "If the members of the DPR do not speak up, why do the people pay their salaries from the APBN (state revenue and expenditure budget)?"

MKD DPR RI is scheduled to summon member of Commission VI DPR RI Rieke Diah Pitaloka regarding alleged violations of the code of ethics for his statement on social media which is considered to provoke the public to reject the policy of increasing VAT to 12 percent.

Chairman of the MKD DPR RI Nazarudin Dek Gam confirmed that the MKD session of the DPR RI with this agenda was originally scheduled to be held today, Monday, but it was canceled and will be rescheduled after the DPR RI recess ended on January 20, 2025.

Previously, Rieke Diah Pitaloka submitted an interruption during the DPR RI Plenary Meeting at the parliament complex, Jakarta, Thursday (5/12), to request the cancellation of the discourse on increasing VAT to 12 percent by 2025.

"I recommend that at this plenary meeting, support the President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo, first, postpone or even cancel the plan to increase VAT 12 percent in accordance with the mandate of Article 7 paragraph (3) and paragraph (2) of Law Number 7 of 2021," he said.

The video of his interruption during the meeting which rejected the 12 percent VAT increase policy was also uploaded on his personal Instagram social media account @riekediahp with the hashtags #ViralForJustice and #TolakKenaikanPPN22% on Thursday (5/12). However, the MKD of the DPR RI does not attach information regarding the rejection of VAT 12 percent which is reported by the complainant.