Losing At The Appeal Level, Jokowi Asked Not To Disrupt Head Of Air Pollution After

Photo: BPMI Setpres/Rusman

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo lost at the appeal level in the court's decision regarding the air pollution lawsuit filed by residents. Representative of the advocacy team for the citizens who filed a lawsuit, Jeanny Sirait asked Jokowi not to fight the court's decision again by filing an appeal.

"We urge the government to no longer file an appeal against the appeal decision won by this citizen," Jeanny told reporters, Friday, October 21.

For residents as plaintiffs, now is no longer the right time to complain strongly between the government and the public in the legal process. This is because the problem of air pollution is a public health bet.

Thus, Jeanny asked Jokowi and his ministers as defendants to comply with the court's decision, which essentially improves air quality in Jakarta.

To date, the ambient air quality standard (BMUA) in Indonesia is recorded at 55 micrograms per cubic for daily and 15 micrograms per cubic for annual use. This figure is three times lower than the WHO standard which is guided by a maximum of 15 micrograms per cubic for daily and 5 micrograms per cubic for annual use.

"Compared to the cassation, we think it would be wiser for the government to take advantage of the available time to immediately ensure that the clean air control system in Jakarta is improved quickly, there should be no delays," explained Jeanny.

For information, the decision regarding air pollution began with a lawsuit of 32 residents submitted to the Central Jakarta District Court on July 4, 2019. In their petition, the plaintiffs requested that the defendants be proven to have violated human rights, because they were negligent in fulfilling the right to a good and healthy environment.

Then on Thursday, September 16, the panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court granted the citizens' lawsuit and sentenced five state officials to be guilty of air pollution in the capital city.

The five officials are the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the Minister of Environment and Forestry, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Governor of DKI Jakarta Province.

In their consideration, the panel of judges stated that the defendants had known that the air in DKI Jakarta had been polluted for years. However, stakeholders do not issue many policies to improve this.

The panel of judges found the five officials guilty to take a number of steps to improve air quality in Jakarta. However, Jokowi and his ministers appealed.

Until October 17, 2022, the Jakarta High Court issued a decision number 549/PDT.G-LH/2022/PT DKI dated October 17, 2022. This decision actually strengthens the decision of the Central Jakarta District Court with case number 374/Pdt.G/LH/2019/PN Jkt.Pst issued on September 16, 2021.

Where, the decision of the Central Jakarta District Court to win or grant most of the demands filed by 32 residents in a lawsuit related to air pollution in the capital city. Thus, Jokowi and his staff were again defeated in this case.