Yesterday's Legal News: Reporting Domestic Worker Recruitment to Neighbourhood Heads to KPK Exposing Forkopimda Holiday Bonuses

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Various legal events from yesterday that drew attention included the public employing domestic workers (PRT) being required to report to the local Neighbourhood Head (RT) and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) addressing the phenomenon of holiday bonuses given to regional leadership coordination forums (forkopimda).

Here is ANTARA’s summary of yesterday’s engaging legal news worth revisiting:

Minister PPPA: Domestic Workers Protection Act is valid, families must report to RT if employing PRT

Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Arifah Fauzi stated that individuals or families employing domestic workers (PRT) are required to report to the local RT/RW.

In a press conference at the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) in Jakarta on Wednesday, Minister PPPA Arifah explained that the enactment of the Domestic Workers Protection Act (UU PPRT) after more than 20 years of waiting recognises the status of PRT as workers who must be protected and clarifies the status between workers and employers.

“We will involve the surrounding community in this act, especially RT and RW. So if there are issues related to domestic workers, this can be handled by the smallest household unit, namely RT or RW,” explained the Minister PPPA.

Team of Nadiem Makarim’s advocates compactly absent from Chromebook corruption trial

The team of advocates for Nadiem Anwar Makarim compactly did not attend the trial for alleged Chromebook corruption at the Corruption Court in Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday.

The reason for the absence of Nadiem’s advocates is unknown.

When the trial began around 3:00 p.m. WIB, the public prosecutor (JPU) from the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) did not mention the presence or reason for the absence of Nadiem’s advocates.

“We, the public prosecutors, are present, but the legal counsel is not,” said JPU from Kejagung Roy Riadi during the trial.

Yusril: Academics free to criticise the government

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra stated that academics are free to criticise government policies as it is not prohibited.

“If it’s academics, they are free to criticise the government, yes, no one prohibits it, no one obstructs it,” said Yusril in Jakarta on Wednesday, in response to the reporting of Feri Amsari and Ubedilah Badrun.

Regarding some academics who voice criticism while holding civil servant (ASN) status, Yusril said that ethical mechanisms should be prioritised to assess any violations, rather than immediately criminalising them.

Police reveal roles of two suspects in illegal phone import case

The Law Enforcement Task Force (Satgas Gakkum) for Smuggling of the National Police revealed the roles of two suspects with initials DCP alias P and SJ in the illegal import case of phones and other products from China.

“Two suspects who acted as parties responsible for bringing in illegal imported goods from China and distributing them in the customs area of the Republic of Indonesia,” said Director of Special Economic Crimes (Dirtipideksus) of Bareskrim Polri Brigadier General Pol. Ade Safri Simanjuntak in a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He detailed that suspect DCP alias P acted as the importer who brought goods into Indonesia in a non-new condition and without Indonesian National Standards (SNI) certification.

KPK assesses holiday bonus distribution by regional heads to forkopimda as quite massive

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) assesses that the distribution of holiday allowances (THR) by regional heads to regional leadership coordination forums (forkopimda) is quite massive in several areas of Indonesia.

“The modus operandi of giving THR to parties outside, such as forkopimda, from district governments, this is quite massively uncovered from several hand-caught incidents carried out by the KPK,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to journalists in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Budi gave examples that the modus was known to occur in Rejang Lebong Regency, Bengkulu. Then in Cilacap Regency, Central Java to Tulungagung Regency, East Java.