House to debate population bill
Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives unanimously agreed on Tuesday to deliberate the draft revision of Law No. 10/1992, which seeks a jail term and fine for citizens who fail to report a child's birth or a family member's death.
Spokesman for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction Surya Chandra Surapatty told a House plenary meeting the punishment was necessary to encourage people to support an improvement in the country's population data.
"Population is crucial in the development of this country. Therefore, the government needs to maintain systematic population records, which will contribute to a strong and orderly nation," Surya said in reading out the faction's response to the bill, which will replace the existing law.
He asserted the absence of accurate population records could weaken the country's ability to develop good governance.
"Fuel subsidies, for example, could not be distributed directly to poor people because there was no accurate data on the number of low-income families. The subsidy was distributed via a variety of sectors, and, as a result, only a small proportion of it reached the needy," he said.
By keeping systematic population records the government will be able to provide social insurance for those who need it, via smoother procedures, he said.
Article 20 of the draft spells out that citizens who fail to report a birth, death or migration in a family will face a maximum punishment of six months in jail or a fine of up to Rp 10 million (US$1,176).
The National Awakening Party (PKB) faction shared the opinion. Reading the faction's response to the bill, its spokesperson, Sukiarti M. Karim, said punishment was necessary to raise citizen awareness of the importance of recording population growth properly.
The bill, drafted by House legislators, has drawn protest from the public.
Wardah Hafidz of the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) objected to article 20 of the bill, calling it "unacceptable and totally ridiculous."
"The article just doesn't make sense. It shows that the government refuses to take responsibility for providing services for its citizens," Wardah told the Post.
Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) Deputy Chairman Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto suggested that the government be more practical on systematic population recording.
"When formulating the draft, the House and government have not seen the reality. The draft may be applicable, but only to certain places that are well-equipped with recording centers; not to remote areas," he said.
He suggested that instead of demanding that citizens report on their children's birth or the death of family members, the government should take the initiative in making records on its citizens.
"Government officials should 'go after the ball,' instead of just sitting in their offices," he said.