Coordinating Minister Yusril: Justice-Based Law Must Be Accompanied by Character Strengthening
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has said that building a just legal system must be accompanied by strengthening the character and integrity of those who administer the state.
At the launch and discussion of the Nasaruddin Umar Thought Series books at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) in Jakarta on Thursday (16/7), he argued that democracy, the constitution and the constitutional system cannot function optimally without the support of a civilisational ethic grounded in religious values and morality.
“Religious values provide moral guidance for public life. Democracy, the constitution, human rights and state institutions remain essential, but all of these will be fragile if they are not supported by morality,” Yusril said, as confirmed in Jakarta on Friday.
However, he continued, the presence of religion must be manifested in values of justice and humanity that protect all citizens without discrimination based on background, majority or minority groups.
Yusril reminded that religious scholars (ulama) and statesmen bear complementary responsibilities in nation-building.
He said ulama safeguard the moral depth of society, while statesmen translate those values into policy and state institutions. Law, meanwhile, serves to ensure power is not exercised excessively.
“Sometimes the articles of law appear clear, yet their application can produce injustice. At other times, the law provides options, and the quality of decisions depends heavily on the character of the individuals wielding that authority,” he said.
For this reason, the Coordinating Minister stressed that legal reform cannot be achieved solely through new regulations, institutional improvements or the development of digital government systems, because without a change in the integrity of state officials, justice will be difficult to realise.
He added that the nation’s greatest challenge today is not merely a shortage of legal instruments, but the persistent weakness of civilisational ethics in national life.
Yusril therefore emphasised that the application of ethical values must become part of the practice of state life, supported by all elements of society and the active role of the state in building the nation’s character.
Specifically, he assessed that the intellectual journey of Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar, through his studies of Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic thought and spirituality, demonstrates that religious values play an important role in building national life.
He also cited Mohammad Natsir as an example showing that commitment to religion and to the nation can go hand in hand.
Meanwhile, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar said his writing productivity continues.
He said the three books launched on the occasion form part of dozens of works he has already published.
“Three days ago we also launched seven books. Those seven do not include the three launched today,” said Nasaruddin.
He revealed he is currently completing a major work, a Philosophical Commentary on the Qur’an (Tafsir Filosofi Al-Qur’an). The three books launched at the event are titled The Purifying Mind, Knots of Thought, and Selected Articles and Opinions.