Population Administration Issues Could Become a Disaster When Elections Arrive
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Population data registration is vital for citizens and elections, as inaccurate data could disrupt the general elections.
This issue was discussed in a meeting of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) with Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto regarding the supervision of population administration (adminduk) on Monday (20/4/2026).
Chairman of Commission II of DPR RI, Muhammad Rifqinizamy Karsayuda, stated that the Working Committee (Panja) for revising the Population Administration Law (UU Adminduk) has been formed in Commission II, although formal discussions are still awaiting the President’s letter on the government’s appointment of representatives.
However, he assessed that the implementation of NIK as a single identity number still faces various obstacles.
Therefore, revising the UU Adminduk is deemed important to improve public services while advancing Indonesia towards a modern administration system.
“That is why our future effort to revise the Population Administration Law (Law Number 23 of 2006) is part of our desire to improve public services in Indonesia,” said Rifqy.
Rifqi also described that in the future, people will no longer need to carry multiple identity cards because all data, including personal identity, taxes, and asset ownership, will be integrated into a single NIK-based system.
He gave an example that identity verification can be done through biometric data such as face, retina, or fingerprints connected to the government’s database.
“We often describe in this Commission room that our wallets should no longer need to contain cards. Even the ID card doesn’t need to be carried anymore,” he explained.
In addition to public services, population data integration is also considered important for improving the quality of electoral democracy, particularly in compiling the permanent voter list (DPT).
He mentioned that problems with updating data, such as citizens’ deaths or changes in employment status, are often recorded late, potentially leading to the loss of voting rights or the emergence of invalid voter data.
“The root of our election problems is often the DPT (Permanent Voter List). When someone dies, when someone regains voting rights, we are often slow to update it,” said Rifqy.
He mentioned that problems with updating data, such as citizens’ deaths or changes in employment status, are often recorded late, potentially leading to the loss of voting rights or the emergence of invalid voter data.