Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said on Wednesday that the government would maintain the controversial joint ministerial decree on establishment of places of worship despite fierce objections from minority groups.

Suryadharma, an Islamist United Development Party (PPP) politician, said the decree issued by the Religious Affairs Ministry and Home Ministry in 2006 would stay as it is and no revision is envisaged.

"The government is considering upgrading the decree so that it will be more strongly legally binding," he said in Yogyakarta where he attended a World Zakat Forum conference as quoted by Antara news agency.

The decree is fiercely disputed by minority religious groups who often cannot build their places of worship because they cannot meet the requirements, especially the consent of the local religious majority in the particular area.

Suryadharma said that if the decree were revoked as some have been demanding, there would be chaos because citizens would take the law into their hands.