Public participation in Asset Forfeiture Bill strengthens legitimacy: observer
Legal and development observer Hardjuno Wiwoho has said that public participation in the drafting of the Asset Forfeiture Bill strengthens the legitimacy of its continued deliberation through to enactment.
“This strong legitimacy is very important for the people. I hope the space for participation that has been opened can be used as widely as possible so that various public inputs enrich the deliberations,” Hardjuno said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.
In doing so, he said, the Asset Forfeiture Bill can become an effective instrument for pursuing the proceeds of crime while still guaranteeing the principles of the rule of law.
He said the Asset Forfeiture Bill must be an effective instrument for pursuing the proceeds of crime, but at the same time must still guarantee the principles of the rule of law.
According to Hardjuno, public attention will later be focused on the substance of the bill, particularly regarding the mechanisms for tracing and forfeiting assets, standards of proof, protection for parties acting in good faith, as well as oversight and objection mechanisms.
“Deliberation on those parts must be carried out transparently so that the broad authority in asset forfeiture still has strong controls,” he said.
He also appreciated the statement by House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani, who has placed the Asset Forfeiture Bill as one of the priorities for the 2026–2027 sitting year by emphasising the importance of meaningful participation.
He believes that commitment demonstrates the House’s attention to the quality and legitimacy of the legislation to be produced.
The emphasis on meaningful participation, according to him, is very important because it shows the House wants the Asset Forfeiture Bill to have strong substance while also gaining public trust.
“This is a good direction in the law-making process,” Hardjuno said.
He expressed hope that the spirit of openness conveyed by Puan can be maintained throughout the deliberation process so that the regulation is able to strengthen the mechanism for recovering state assets while also providing legal certainty and maintaining a balance of authority among state apparatus.
He reminded that meaningful participation is expected not to be translated merely as inviting the public to forums or requesting input.
“The public must know what is being discussed, whose input is accepted, and how that input influences the formulation of articles in the law,” he added.
“The Asset Forfeiture Bill is still at the stage of receiving meaningful input from the public so that it can strengthen the substance of the law and have strong legitimacy,” Puan said in her speech at the House Plenary Session opening the First Sitting Period of the 2026–2027 Sitting Year in Jakarta on Friday (14/8).
Puan said the quality of law-making is not only measured by the number of laws produced, but by how much benefit the people can feel from the presence of those laws.