DPD Urges Government and Parliament to Finalise Asset Forfeiture Bill This Year
Irman Gusman, a member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) from West Sumatra, has urged the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government to promptly finalise deliberation of the Asset Forfeiture Bill in 2026. In his view, the public has waited far too long for a regulation widely regarded as a powerful tool for strengthening the fight against corruption and economic crime.
The two-term former DPD chairman sought to dispel circulating misinformation suggesting the bill had been rejected or was no longer a priority. Irman affirmed that the Asset Forfeiture Bill remains officially listed in the 2026 Priority National Legislation Programme (Prolegnas) and continues to be a legitimate item on the legislative agenda.
Irman called on the public to end the polemic over the bill’s status and instead focus on ensuring the draft regulation is completed. The law is deemed urgently needed because asset recovery in corruption cases that have already been criminally decided has so far fallen short in restoring state losses.
“The public is waiting. Because the Asset Forfeiture Bill is still in the 2026 Priority Prolegnas, its deliberation must be pushed forward so it can be completed this year,” Irman said in a written statement on Thursday (16 July).
While pushing for acceleration, the chairman of the Council of Experts on MSME Economics at the Muhammadiyah central executive board cautioned policymakers against sacrificing the quality of the bill’s substance. Rules on non-conviction-based asset forfeiture must be built upon the framework of a state governed by law, protection of human rights, and strict judicial oversight to prevent misuse.
Irman underlined that the greatest challenge of the draft regulation is aligning the needs of law enforcement with the obligation to uphold constitutional principles. Therefore, the forfeiture mechanism must be based on clear evidentiary standards, be legally testable, and continue to protect the rights of third parties acting in good faith.
“The state must be firm against the proceeds of crime, but must not disregard citizens’ rights. The state’s power to seize assets derived from criminal acts must go hand in hand with guarantees of legal certainty, transparency, and adequate oversight mechanisms,” said the senator born in Padang Panjang.
Furthermore, Irman asked parliament and the government to keep open broad space for public participation by academics, legal practitioners, business actors, and civil society organisations. Such involvement, he argued, is crucial to ensure the resulting regulation is not only effective in cutting off chains of crime, but also carries strong legitimacy and guarantees a sense of justice within society.
The push for enactment of the regulation has grown more urgent amid the widespread phenomenon of abuse of authority and misuse of state funds.