Indonesia seeks to preserve controversial jobs law, parliament set for debate
Indonesia’s parliament will soon open a fresh debate of a flagship law that aimed to transform the country’s investment climate, a senior lawmaker told Reuters, to comply with a court ruling that found fault with the way the legislation was passed.
The Constitutional Court last year ruled that the passage of President Joko Widodo’s vaunted jobs creation law was flawed due to limited public consultations and ordered lawmakers to restart the process within two years, otherwise the law would be deemed unconstitutional.
Passed in 2020, Indonesia’s so-called “omnibus” law revised over 70 other laws and was lauded by foreign investors for streamlining business rules in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, which is notorious for its onerous bureaucracy.
But it also sparked nationwide protests from workers, students, and green groups, who said it eroded labor and environmental protections.
Those unions are preparing this month to stage mass protests to try to pressure authorities to meet their demands.
Supratman Andi Agtas, who heads parliament’s legislative body, told Reuters that amendments could be made once parliament revisits the law, and he stressed that the process would be thorough and views of the public would be heard.
“We will discuss the content, one by one, word by word,” Supratman said in an interview, adding that provisions in the law can still be changed.
“This is a political space, we don’t know whether political factions (parties) have the same understanding as before. Maybe the atmosphere has changed, we don’t know.”
Parliament last month changed legislation that governs the way laws are passed, including specifying what constitutes public consultations, a move that analysts say was aimed at making it easier for the government to comply with the ruling. Read More...
