Asked To Carry Out The Supreme Court's Decision Regarding The Mandatory Halal COVID-19 Vaccine, Ministry Of Health: We Are Still Studying

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Secretary of the Directorate General of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, responded to pressure from a number of parties to carry out the decision of the Supreme Court (MA) which stated that the COVID-19 vaccine for Muslims in Indonesia must be halal.

Nadia said that currently the Ministry of Health is still studying the Supreme Court's decision. Therefore, the Ministry of Health has not yet decided on a new policy regarding the government's vaccination program.

"We are still studying it. We are waiting for a review from the team," said Nadia in a short message, Friday, April 22.

It is known, the Supreme Court's decision regarding the provision of halal vaccines must be fulfilled by the government after the Indonesian Muslim Consumer Foundation (YKMI) as the applicant won at the Supreme Court level against President Jokowi Widodo.

The Supreme Court's verdict is the result of a judicial review conducted by YKMI on Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 99 of 2020 concerning Vaccine Procurement. .

"That the government in carrying out the COVID-19 vaccination program in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia (NRI), cannot immediately impose its will on citizens to be vaccinated for any reason and without conditions, except for protection and guarantees for the halal type of COVID-19 vaccine. 19 that have been set, especially against Muslims," reads the Supreme Court's decision.

A number of DPR members also urged the Ministry of Health to immediately follow up on the Supreme Court's decision. The chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, asked the government to immediately mitigate and take steps to promote the provision of halal vaccines. He also reminded that the Supreme Court's decision would not harm the community.

Meanwhile, Member of Commission IX of the DPR RI, Saleh Partaonan Daulay, assessed that the decision was very urgent to be executed in the midst of the government's incessant vaccination. According to him, the government inevitably has to provide halal vaccines in every vaccination implementation throughout Indonesia.