Posbankum urged to play a role in tackling narcotics problems in North Jakarta
Jakarta – Vice Mayor of North Jakarta (Jakut) Fredy Setiawan has asked that Legal Aid Posts (Pos Bantuan Hukum, Posbankum) at kelurahan level play a role in educating the public, especially on tackling narcotics abuse in the local area.
“We request that the role of Posbankum be continuously strengthened as the frontline in legal education for the public, including in efforts to counter narcotics abuse,” Fredy said in Jakarta on Friday.
He said paralegals at Posbankum have a strategic role in helping the public understand legal issues in a simpler and more humane way, including in cases of narcotics abuse.
Therefore, he added, the capacity of Posbankum paralegals must be enhanced so they can provide legal accompaniment to residents in their respective communities.
Fredy believes that the existence of Posbankum at the kelurahan level should be capable of becoming an accessible consultation space for residents when facing legal issues.
He added that Posbankum paralegals are the frontline who interact directly with the public.
They are expected to educate that narcotics users do not need to fear reporting because rehabilitation is a lifesaving step.
Fredy emphasised that narcotics abuse is not merely a legal issue but also a humanitarian issue requiring a recovery approach.
“There are still members of the public who feel ashamed or afraid to report. Paralegals can help convey that reporting is in fact a form of courage to save the future,” Fredy said.
Meanwhile, Baroto, head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkum) for DKI Jakarta, stressed that Posbankum is part of the state’s effort to bring access to justice down to the kelurahan level.
He targets all kelurahan in DKI Jakarta to have a Posbankum that actively offers consultation services and free legal aid to the community.
Through Posbankum, a range of residents’ legal issues, such as family disputes, divorce, inheritance, and social conflicts, can be settled through consultation and mediation mechanisms without dragging on through litigation.
“Posbankum is not merely an administrative programme, but a tangible realisation of the state’s legal services that must be felt directly by the public,” Baroto asserted.