MP: Ministries Need to Protect Creative Workers Like Amsal

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Siti Mukaromah, believes that strategic ministries need to collaborate to protect creative workers from potential criminalisation, such as the case involving videographer Amsal Sitepu.

According to her, workers in the creative industry are a vulnerable group with minimal protection, both in terms of protection against criminalisation, disturbances to mental health, and rights as workers.

“The resolution should not only be from the aspect of creativity, but also from legal, digital economy, employment, tourism aspects, and so on,” said Siti in a written statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.

She assessed that the Amsal case is an eruption of the vulnerability of that group. Therefore, she does not want similar cases to ensnare other creative economy actors.

According to her, the flexibility of working hours and status as freelance workers often lead to excessive workloads without time limits. In addition, she noted that access to worker protection or social security does not reach freelance workers, as it is usually only for permanent employees.

Meanwhile, according to her, the growth of the Creative Economy sector is increasing by 5.69 percent in 2025. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) also states that this sector absorbs around 27.4 million workers by the end of 2025.

“This shows the important role of the creative industry in supporting the national economy. So, creative industry workers are actually heroes in creating jobs,” she said.

For this reason, she believes that the creativity of young people is increasingly high in building economic independence, without relying on available job vacancies or opportunities. The presence of the Ministry of Creative Economy, according to her, is a form of the state’s concern so that creativity is accommodated, and dignified economic independence is built.