DPR Member Calls for Strengthened Public Legal Education, Neighbour Disputes Attributed to Lack of Rule Awareness
A member of the House of Representatives (DPR) has called on local governments and law enforcement agencies to strengthen legal education for the public. The move is considered crucial to suppressing inter-resident conflicts, which have recently occurred frequently due to a low understanding of legal rules and neighbourly ethics.
According to Abdullah, a member of Commission III, various disputes widely discussed on social media generally begin with actions that violate regulations, yet the perpetrators often feel they are in the right. This situation results in residents who try to live orderly lives frequently becoming victims of intimidation.
“In many cases, those who break the rules feel they are the most correct and the most aggressive, while residents who want to live orderly lives become victims of intimidation,” Abdullah said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.
He assessed that legal education needs serious attention so that the public understands their rights and obligations in community life, while also being able to resolve issues wisely without triggering prolonged conflicts.
Abdullah explained that several issues frequently sparking disputes among residents are related to personal activities or business operations that impact the surrounding environment. These include the habit of burning rubbish carelessly, running businesses that produce unpleasant odours or waste, and activities that generate noise disturbing the comfort of other residents.
According to him, such problems should be preventable if the public has an adequate understanding of the applicable legal rules. Therefore, he requested that public education not only be general in nature but also provide an understanding of the various legal provisions governing community life.
Abdullah stated that legal education materials need to cover various prohibitions that are often ignored by the public. These include the prohibition of burning rubbish carelessly, running businesses that produce unpleasant odours or polluting waste, and conducting activities that cause noise disturbing the comfort of other residents.
He explained that provisions regarding these matters are already regulated in several regulations, namely Law Number 18 of 2008 on Waste Management, Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management, and the State Minister of the Environment Decree Number 48 of 1996 on Noise Level Standards.