House Commission I: Cybersecurity Bill Draft Withheld to Prevent Public Misunderstanding

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I has clarified that the draft of the Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill (RUU KKS) has not been released to the public to prevent potential misunderstandings, as the text is not yet final. Deputy Chairman of Commission I, Dave Laksono, stated that the commission agreed to mature the substance of the bill first, given the dynamic nature of the legislative process in parliament. “If an unfinished draft circulates, it is feared that it could cause misunderstandings or speculation in the community,” Dave said in Jakarta on Tuesday. He noted that potential misunderstandings could include assumptions that the bill will restrict freedom of speech or be used to silence criticism. Therefore, he urged the public to wait for the official text to be published and not to jump to conclusions based on incomplete information. “Commission I of the DPR will ensure that every provision in this bill remains in line with democratic principles, respects citizens’ rights, and strengthens national digital resilience,” he said. According to Dave, cyberattacks currently target not only individuals but also strategic infrastructure, public services, the financial sector, and national data. Consequently, the state requires a comprehensive legal foundation so that all stakeholders have clear guidelines for building a secure, resilient, and coordinated digital ecosystem. He explained that the bill is broadly directed at regulating fundamental matters, including strengthening national cybersecurity governance, dividing roles and coordination among ministries and agencies, protecting vital information infrastructure, establishing mechanisms for preventing and handling cyber incidents, enhancing human resource capacity, and reinforcing national and international cooperation in the cyber domain. “This bill is not intended to restrict freedom of expression or conduct excessive surveillance of the public. Its main focus is to build a national protection system capable of safeguarding the interests of the state and society in the digital space,” he said. Previously, the Chairman of Commission I, Utut Adianto, had requested that his colleagues and the government refrain from distributing the draft bill to the public to minimise the emergence of hoaxes. “I also request at this stage that these drafts not be released yet, because there will be too many hoaxes later,” Utut said during a meeting with the government at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Monday (29/6), alongside Deputy Minister of Law Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej. He stated that the restriction on distributing the initial draft is not an attempt to conceal the process, but rather an effort to protect the legal substance from distortion of facts, speculation, and misuse of information before a legislative consensus is reached.