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JAKARTA – Those who have sex outside marriage and engage in premarital cohabitation will face stiff punishment as Indonesia’s parliament is expected to pass a new law.
The legislation will also include a ban on insulting the president or state institutions, and on views that oppose the state ideology, Reuters reported.
The republic’s deputy justice minister, Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, was quoted as saying in an interview that the legislation is expected to be passed on December 15.
“We’re proud to have a criminal code that’s in line with Indonesian values.”
He also dismissed criticism, saying that the law will not threaten democratic freedoms.
If passed, the law will apply to citizens and foreigners living in Indonesia.
It was reported that a version of the criminal code was to be passed in 2019, but was postponed following nationwide protests that involved tens of thousands of people.
However, abortion – excluding rape victims – and the practice of “black magic” remain a crime.
Reuters said, in a November 24 draft that it sighted, that sex outside marriage carries a prison sentence of up to one year, while insulting the president bears a maximum sentence of three years.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Employers’ Association deputy chair Shinta Widjaja Sukamdani cautioned that the morality clauses will do “more harm than good”, especially for businesses in tourism and hospitality.
“For the business sector, the implementation of this customary law shall create legal uncertainty and make investors re-consider investing in Indonesia.”
Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch was also quoted as saying that the law will be “a huge setback to Indonesian democracy”. – The Vibes, December 2, 2022