House Commission III Flags Potential Power Abuse in Asset Forfeiture Bill, Calls for Meticulous Drafting

The House of Representatives Commission III is paying serious attention to the potential for abuse of power in the deliberation of the Asset Forfeiture Bill. Although it supports the spirit of eradicating corruption through the regulation, the House has stressed that its drafting must not be done hastily, so as not to open up space for the misuse of power. This was conveyed by the Chairman of House Commission III, Habiburokhman, during a public hearing with the Indonesian Advocates Congress and academics at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday, 9 July 2026. According to Habiburokhman, the commission deliberately involved various elements of society in the discussion of the Asset Forfeiture Bill so that every input could serve as material for refinement before the regulation is enacted. ‘We want to strive for as many elements of society as possible to be heard, to have their aspirations heard regarding this asset forfeiture. As we know, this Asset Forfeiture Law is something new, it will be something truly new for us,’ said Habiburokhman. He explained that unlike the deliberation of other regulations such as the Criminal Procedure Code, the Criminal Code, or the Police Law, which merely revise existing rules, the Asset Forfeiture Bill is being drafted from scratch and therefore requires more comprehensive discussion. During the meeting, Habiburokhman acknowledged that there is still debate within society regarding the substance of the Asset Forfeiture Bill. One of the issues drawing the most attention is the potential for abuse of power if the regulation is not designed carefully. According to him, the spirit of strengthening corruption eradication must be balanced with guarantees for the protection of people’s rights to prevent deviations in the law’s implementation in the future. ‘There are new things that are still being discussed and debated in society; we continue to gather input. Most of us are indeed enthusiastic, but there are also those who remind us to be careful in drafting this law so as not to be hasty, because we must not create loopholes for the emergence of abuse of power,’ he stated. Habiburokhman emphasised that all emerging aspirations would be taken into consideration by House Commission III in perfecting the bill’s draft.