Jakarta – Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas held a dialogue session with editors-in-chief of national media outlets as part of an open and constructive communication forum between the government and the public. More than a social gathering, the meeting served as a platform for in-depth discussions on key issues, including the new Criminal Code (KUHP), the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), digital transformation, and the expansion of legal aid posts (Posbankum).
The Minister said the forum reflected the Ministry of Law’s (Kemenkum) commitment, on behalf of the government, to maintain open communication with all segments of society.
“We have a responsibility to explain the President’s thinking and expectations. As his aides, we understand that the President remains fully focused on implementing the programs he has carefully designed,” Supratman said at the Soepomo Meeting Room on Friday evening (9 January 2026).
One of Ministry of Law’s initiatives, which also aligns with the President’s priorities, is digital transformation. Upon being appointed minister, the first thing the man familiarly known as Bang Maman did was launch a digital transformation
“From the very beginning of my tenure, I made it clear that public services must be digital. Digitalization makes services more accessible and provides legal certainty,” he explained.
The President, Supratman added, has also consistently emphasized that access to justice must be felt by all citizens, particularly those from lower-income communities. In 2025, Kemenkum initially targeted the establishment of legal aid posts in 7,000 villages and urban villages nationwide.
“However, driven by a strong commitment, our colleagues at BPHN, working with the Ministry of Villages and the Ministry of Home Affairs, have now established more than 76,000 legal aid posts across 32 provinces,” he said.
The Minister also outlined plans to introduce intellectual property (IP)-based financing for content creators. Through the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI), the Ministry of Law aims not only to provide protection, but also to foster an ecosystem that supports economic growth.
“Alhamdulillah, Indonesia has agreed to allocate Rp10 trillion in 2026 to support our creative industry through an IP-based financing platform. Notably, this makes Indonesia the 15th country in the world to implement such a scheme,” Supratman said.
Meanwhile, the Vice Minister of Law Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej noted that drafting the KUHP was a complex process in a country as ethnically, religiously, and culturally diverse as Indonesia. He said every issue inevitably faces both support and opposition, particularly on sensitive provisions such as adultery and cohabitation.
“If we follow the views of North Sulawesi, which sees these provisions as an intrusion into private life, West Sumatra would argue that the law fails to reflect their aspirations. Conversely, if we adopt West Sumatra’s perspective, then North Sulawesi would claim the law is unrepresentative. We are caught between controversies that are diametrically opposed. This is precisely where we must make a decision,” the Vice Minister of Law stated,” he explained.
Eddy, as he is commonly known, added that while criminal law generally has universal elements, three areas are highly context-specific: political offences, defamation, and morality.
“Each country regulates these issues differently,” said the professor of criminal law.
Regarding the drafting of the new Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), Eddy said the process was even more demanding, as its core philosophy is to prevent abuses of state power against individuals.
“Criminal procedure law worldwide is based on a participant approach and the doctrine of ius puniendi, the state’s right to prosecute, punish, and enforce sentences. The challenge is to balance state authority with the protection of individual rights,” he stressed.
The gathering was attended by 31 editors-in-chief, senior journalists, and representatives of the Press Council. The forum is expected to strengthen government–media communication and reflect the President’s commitment to ensuring that national policy directions and development priorities are clearly understood and effectively conveyed to the public.
