IPC Deems Sahroni's Appointment as Commission III Leader a Violation of the MD3 Law
The Indonesia Parliamentary Center (IPC) has assessed that the reappointment of Ahmad Sahroni as Deputy Chairman of Commission III potentially violates Law Number 17 of 2014 on the People's Consultative Assembly, House of Representatives, Regional Representative Council, and Regional People's Representative Councils, commonly known as the MD3 Law. The legislation governs the structure, functions, authority, and rights of legislative bodies in Indonesia.
The issue centres on the fact that Sahroni was appointed to lead the commission overseeing legal affairs whilst his suspension as a House member remains unresolved. "The House may argue that this appointment is administrative in nature and does not fully reactivate Sahroni until his sanction period ends, but this feels like a weak justification," said IPC researcher Arif Adiputro when contacted on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
He explained that under Article 106 of the MD3 Law, a suspended House member is prohibited from carrying out parliamentary duties, including holding a commission leadership position during the suspension period. Although Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco claimed that Sahroni had been reinstated, Arif noted that by his calculations, Sahroni's sanction period should not yet have concluded.
Sahroni was found to have committed an ethical violation and was handed a six-month suspension by the House Ethics Council (MKD) in November 2025. The MKD ruled that the six-month period would be counted from the date Sahroni was suspended by his party, NasDem, on 1 September 2025. This means that, based on that date, his punishment should only conclude at the end of February or early March 2026.
"In accordance with the MKD ruling documents, if the House truly adheres to its own rules, the reappointment as deputy chairman of Commission III should have been postponed until the sanction is fully served," said Arif.
Arif suspects the House deliberately loosened its interpretation of the sanction period calculation in order to prioritise the stabilisation of the NasDem faction in strategic commissions such as Commission III, which oversees legal and security affairs. According to him, the House's decision to manipulate the timeline and focus more on power distribution than ethical accountability reflects how badly the institution's credibility has deteriorated.
Furthermore, the decision also weakens the authority of Commission III as the people's representative body tasked with overseeing law enforcement institutions such as the Attorney General's Office, the National Police, and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). "Imagine how this commission can firmly demand accountability from the executive when its own internal standards are lax and it is led by a figure who has been sanctioned for ethical violations," said Arif.
He concluded that the series of controversies surrounding Sahroni in the House demonstrates that the political culture in parliament remains patrimonial, where party loyalty and personal networks are still valued more highly than public integrity. "If left unaddressed, cases like this will continue to erode the legitimacy of parliament," he said.
Sahroni was appointed as Deputy Chairman of Commission III representing NasDem, replacing Rusdi Masse Mappasessu, during a plenary session held in the Commission III hearing room at the House complex in Jakarta on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
Previously, on Friday, 29 August 2025, Sahroni had been transferred from his position as Deputy Chairman of Commission III for the 2024-2029 term and reassigned as a member of Commission I. The transfer was made after Sahroni's questioning provoked public outrage, triggering a series of demonstrations in August last year.
Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad confirmed that Ahmad Sahroni had returned to active duty as a legislator after serving a six-month suspension.
Separately, NasDem Deputy Chairman Saan Mustopa also claimed that his party had followed the sanction enforcement mechanism set by the MKD. He expressed confidence that the MKD had granted permission for Sahroni to return to work at the House.
"So if the House leadership has already confirmed it, that means there is no issue with the MKD," said Saan at the House on Thursday.
The issue centres on the fact that Sahroni was appointed to lead the commission overseeing legal affairs whilst his suspension as a House member remains unresolved. "The House may argue that this appointment is administrative in nature and does not fully reactivate Sahroni until his sanction period ends, but this feels like a weak justification," said IPC researcher Arif Adiputro when contacted on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
He explained that under Article 106 of the MD3 Law, a suspended House member is prohibited from carrying out parliamentary duties, including holding a commission leadership position during the suspension period. Although Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco claimed that Sahroni had been reinstated, Arif noted that by his calculations, Sahroni's sanction period should not yet have concluded.
Sahroni was found to have committed an ethical violation and was handed a six-month suspension by the House Ethics Council (MKD) in November 2025. The MKD ruled that the six-month period would be counted from the date Sahroni was suspended by his party, NasDem, on 1 September 2025. This means that, based on that date, his punishment should only conclude at the end of February or early March 2026.
"In accordance with the MKD ruling documents, if the House truly adheres to its own rules, the reappointment as deputy chairman of Commission III should have been postponed until the sanction is fully served," said Arif.
Arif suspects the House deliberately loosened its interpretation of the sanction period calculation in order to prioritise the stabilisation of the NasDem faction in strategic commissions such as Commission III, which oversees legal and security affairs. According to him, the House's decision to manipulate the timeline and focus more on power distribution than ethical accountability reflects how badly the institution's credibility has deteriorated.
Furthermore, the decision also weakens the authority of Commission III as the people's representative body tasked with overseeing law enforcement institutions such as the Attorney General's Office, the National Police, and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). "Imagine how this commission can firmly demand accountability from the executive when its own internal standards are lax and it is led by a figure who has been sanctioned for ethical violations," said Arif.
He concluded that the series of controversies surrounding Sahroni in the House demonstrates that the political culture in parliament remains patrimonial, where party loyalty and personal networks are still valued more highly than public integrity. "If left unaddressed, cases like this will continue to erode the legitimacy of parliament," he said.
Sahroni was appointed as Deputy Chairman of Commission III representing NasDem, replacing Rusdi Masse Mappasessu, during a plenary session held in the Commission III hearing room at the House complex in Jakarta on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
Previously, on Friday, 29 August 2025, Sahroni had been transferred from his position as Deputy Chairman of Commission III for the 2024-2029 term and reassigned as a member of Commission I. The transfer was made after Sahroni's questioning provoked public outrage, triggering a series of demonstrations in August last year.
Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad confirmed that Ahmad Sahroni had returned to active duty as a legislator after serving a six-month suspension.
Separately, NasDem Deputy Chairman Saan Mustopa also claimed that his party had followed the sanction enforcement mechanism set by the MKD. He expressed confidence that the MKD had granted permission for Sahroni to return to work at the House.
"So if the House leadership has already confirmed it, that means there is no issue with the MKD," said Saan at the House on Thursday.