Law Minister stresses the press's strategic role in safeguarding democracy and overseeing government

Jakarta — The Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas has stressed that the press plays a strategic role in safeguarding democracy and in overseeing the conduct of government. During a silaturahim and iftar with mass media in Jakarta on Tuesday, 3 March, he said the mass media is not merely a conduit between the government and the public, but an essential part of the checks-and-balances system to prevent state overreach. ‘For the Ministry of Law, the press is not merely a bridge for us to communicate with the public. The press is an asset; the press is a pillar of democracy,’ Supratman said, as confirmed in Jakarta on Wednesday. If the press fails to perform its oversight function, he argued, the state could act arbitrarily, and therefore the government needs the press not only as a conduit to convey programmes and policies to the public. Thus, the media is expected to serve as a control tool over policymakers so that every decision remains in line with public expectations and the nation’s aspirations. Meanwhile, Retno Pinasti, representative of the editors-in-chief of media outlets, described the Law Minister as one of the officials who is open to the press community. She said Supratman is among ministers who regularly communicate, not only when major cases or viral issues affect the Ministry of Law. ‘The Law Minister is one of the ministers who is very open to forging ties and discussing with the press community. This is done routinely, not only when there is a case or a viral issue,’ Retno said. Retno added that if one traces the most viral issues related to the ministry’s performance on the artificial intelligence (AI) platform, discussions that often arise still revolve around the naturalisation of football players. The iftar gathering was one of the silaturahim activities regularly conducted by the Ministry of Law with journalists. Present at the event were 37 editors-in-chief and journalists from online, print, and electronic media.