IO, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security Mahfud MD stated that President Joko Widodo is currently considering all input from everyone concerning the Government Regulation in lieu of a Law (Peraturan Pemerintah Pengganti Undang-undang – “Perppu”) concerning the Corruption Eradication Commission (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi – “KPK”). He said that Perppu KPK is the President’s prerogative. “So let’s just wait together and see what the President will do. He is already processing the issue,” Mahfud stated at JW Marriott Hotel, Jakarta, on Monday (28/10/2019).
Mahfud stated that input, views and opinions concerning the Perppu KPK already arrived before he was appointed as the new Minister to replace Wiranto. Furthermore, Mahfud stated that he has no authority whatsoever concerning any Perppu, including Perppu KPK. It is entirely Jokowi’s prerogative. “Let me say again that Perppu is the president’s prerogative. Whether he will issue one or not, we will see. Again, I say that all inputs are submitted to him,” he said.
Meanwhile, activists from the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) have set a deadline of 100 days for Minister Mahfud to encourage the President to issue a Perppu relating to the Revised KPK Law. ICW Researcher Kurnia Ramadhana stated that Mahfud’s appointment as Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security is a breath of fresh air, because he can help encourage President Joko Widodo to issue Perppu KPK. “We really hope that Prof. Mahfud can consistently push for the issuance of the Perppu. We might even set a time limit of 100 days for him,” Kurnia said at ICW’s office on Monday (28/10/2019).
This particular Ministry can be a test of Mahfud’s consistency in eradicating corruption and enforcing the law – for example, by helping to encourage the issuance of Perppu KPK. After all, Mahfud himself as stated several times that the best way to save KPK from the polemic of the revision of its regulating law is by issuing the Perppu. Yet he himself certainly has the right to question ICW’s position that it should dare to give him a deadline of 100 days to encourage the issuance of this legal product. “Very well, I would also grant 100 days to ICW to make any statement relevant to this issue. Really, who does ICW think it is?” he said irritably when meeting the press at his office in Jakarta on Tuesday (29/10/2019).
Mahfud ended the interview by again repeating his request that everyone just wait for any announcement concerning the Perppu from President Joko Widodo himself. “Just wait how things play out, all right? What matters is that everything should be resolved properly and peacefully – all without injuring the equality of law and right enforcement for everyone in Indonesia.” (des)