News, Articles & Reviews

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Minister/State Secretary Hatta Radjasa said there was no need to issue an implementing regulation for the Joint Ministerial Decree (SKB) on Ahmadiyah because the SKB`s wording was clear enough.

"I don`t think the SKB needs an implementing regulation (Juklak) because it is very self-explanatory," the minister said here on Tuesday.

The SKB would neither need a presidential decision to reinforce it because Law No.1 /1965 on the Prevention of Religious Abuse and Defilement had specified that such a matter should be settled through an SKB.

"So, I think, what was produced by the three ministers is already the best for all of the people," Radjasa said.

The SKB was jointly signed by the ministers of religious affairs and home affairs as well as the attorney general.

The government hoped that the issuance of the SKB would help calm down the people.

He said the decree was not designed for one group only but all groups in society. The government expected that the people would abide by the SKB and not defile each other`s religion.

The SKB is basically issued to create harmony among all religious followers in Indonesia, he said.

"In essence, it is intended to serve as guidance and to function as a means of supervision so that defilement of religious will not occur. It has an aspect which calls on all groups in the country not to attack each other," the minister added.

He said the central and regional governments should provide guidance to the people and supervise the implementation of the decree to ensure that no groups in society would breach regulations.

Hatta said if the Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) planned to refer the decree to the Constitutional Court for a judicial review, the government was ready to face the challenge.

Source