JAKARTA. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo requested a delay to the revision of Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), according to Law and Human Rights Affairs Minister Yasonna H. Laoly.

The request was made directly by Jokowi to House of Representatives (DPR) heads during a consultation meeting at the State Palace on Tuesday.

“The President has requested that we [jointly] agree that [the revision] is not a priority. Let’s delay [the revision], don’t [do it] during the House Legislative Body [Baleg] meeting,” said Yasonna on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Yasonna added that the revision was delayed due to more important priorities, such as economic issues.

“Since the beginning, there was no discussion regarding the weakening [of the KPK],” said Yasonna.

Following Jokowi’s request, the DPR heads later agreed to discuss the revision of the KPK Law in the next Baleg meeting.

“It is a joint decision between the government and DPR,” said Yasonna.

Yasonna asserted that the initial draft revision came from the DPR; he saw it for the first time when it was circulated in the Baleg meeting on Oct. 6. The government never made the draft nor proposed it.

According to Yasonna, the discussion of the KPK Law revision did not have to follow the initial version; the article that limited the lifetime of the KPK to only 12 years, for instance, could be erased.

“It doesn’t have to be based on the first concept,” said Yasonna.

He later questioned the existence of the presidential letterhead on the first page of the draft. He said that the letterhead should not be included in a draft compiled by the DPR.

“But the letterhead can be made by anyone,” said Yasonna.

Previously, PDI-P lawmaker Masinton Pasaribu reportedly said that the draft revision was proposed by the government, which later turned into an initiative by the DPR.

Forty five DPR members from six factions proposed the revision of the 2002 KPK Law during a Baleg meeting on Oct. 6, kompas.com reported. They are factions of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the NasDem Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the Hanura Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Golkar Party.

In the draft revision, the antigraft body would no longer have surveillance or prosecution rights. The draft revision also stated the KPK would have the authority to issue investigation termination warrants or SP3, like the ones issued by the National Police and the AGO.

The draft revision also states that wiretapping or recordings cannot be conducted without court consent.

In another article, the draft revision states that the KPK is only allowed to handle a corruption case that has inflicted Rp 50 billion (US$3.7 million) worth of financial losses to the state. The KPK is also not allowed to recruit employees, including investigators, independently. The draft revision says the KPK must recruit employees from the National Police, the AGO and the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP).

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie