Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The public and the media must work together to maintain the republic's press freedom and the current anti-corruption movement, a University of Indonesia communication expert said Thursday.

"All parties, including the press, should accept the Supreme Court's existence in respect of the 1945 Constitution and the rule of law," Effendi Gazali said.

"We must fight against a corrupt judiciary system and media workers have to prove in their (investigative reports) that the Court's ruling on Time magazine is against any sense of justice."

Effendi said the Supreme Court's recent finding in favor of former president Soeharto to the sum of US$106 million in his lawsuit against Time magazine was simply wrong.

Soeharto sued the US-based magazine over its May 1999 article Suharto Inc.: The Family Firm, which alleged the former leader had stashed a massive amount of his wealth abroad.

Effendi said the inclusion of Soeharto by the United Nations and the World Bank in a the list of top world corrupters was a slap in the face for the Supreme Court and the country's corrupt judiciary.

"This means there is something wrong with the Supreme Court and the judiciary system. The court should... reform its institution to repair its tarnished image and uphold justice," he said.

The Supreme Court should use rationality and wisdom in upholding justice and should consider whether its verdict was in line with the public's sense of justice, he said.

Jeffrey Massie and Effendi Choirie, both members of the House of Representatives' Commission I on information, defense and foreign affairs, separately said the court's ruling had discouraged the media and was a setback to press freedom.

They said the court's decision was against any sense of justice and the judiciary system had to be reformed. The 1999 press law should be used in settling press disputes, instead of the Criminal Code, they said.

Jeffrey said, "Law enforcers should respect the journalistic profession and the journalists' code of ethics and treat them in accordance with Law No. 40/1999 on the media".

The Supreme Court has also come under fire for its move to extend Chief Justice Bagir Manan's term in office, as well as its proposed salary hike for its judges from Rp 15 million to Rp 100 million (US$10,889.6).

The court recently rejected an audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), which led the agency to file a request with the Constitutional Court to help settle the dispute.

Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nurwahid said he regretted the court's rejection. He said the court should not position itself as an untouchable super body and it "should set a good example in its compliance with the law... to ensure its accountability and credibility".