Political roundup: Cabinet Secretary meeting, Yusril on corruption
Secretary of Cabinet Teddy Indra Wijaya received Minister of Housing and Residential Areas Maruarar Sirait at the Cabinet Secretariat building in Jakarta on Sunday to discuss the target of renovating 400,000 substandard homes by 2026. According to a post on the Cabinet Secretariat’s official Instagram account, the government is targeting the renovation of 400,000 uninhabitable houses in 2026, a significant increase from the 2025 target of 45,000 units.
In a separate development, Neng Eem Marhamah Zulfa Hiz, Chair of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction in the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), stated that ethnic Chinese Indonesians have been one of the main architects in the development of the Republic of Indonesia. She made the remarks during a national dialogue in Jakarta, responding to what she described as a false dichotomy between indigenous and non-indigenous groups.
Meanwhile, MPR Deputy Speaker Lestari Moerdijat urged the strengthening of protection systems for all citizens, particularly vulnerable groups, through consistent implementation of regulations on preventing and handling sexual violence. She stressed that the enforcement of the Sexual Violence Crime Law and Government Regulation Number 30 of 2025 must be carried out consistently, covering law enforcement, victim recovery, and community-based prevention.
The Indonesian Editors’ Forum (Forum Pemred) called on lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea to respect the journalism profession, following statements he made during a press conference at the Attorney General’s Office that were deemed disparaging to journalists. Forum Pemred Chair Retno Pinasti expressed regret over Hotman Paris’s attitude and manner of answering journalists’ questions regarding the case of his client, former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah.
Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra assessed that eradicating corruption in Indonesia cannot succeed solely by relying on legal regulations and law enforcement agencies without also fostering ethical and moral awareness in society. He noted that Indonesia already possesses adequate legal instruments, including laws, law enforcement officers, and specialised institutions such as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Corruption Court, yet corrupt practices persist.