Ezra Sihite – Four of the nine factions at the House of Representatives are calling on Minister of Justice and Human rights Amir Syamsuddin to revoke the tighter requirements for remissions and paroles for corruption and terrorism convicts.

The United Development Party (PPP), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) expressed their objection to Amir's policy in a hearing with the minister on Wednesday.

The Democratic Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) said that they did not outright reject the policy but wanted its legality to be examined. No members of the National Awakening Party (PKB) were present at the hearing.

"The PDI-P is asking the minister of justice and human rights to revoke his ministerial decree, which is against the law," legislator Ichsan Soelistyo said as he read out his faction's stance on the new remission policy.

Ichsan said that the ministry should follow the line set out by Amir's predecessor, Patrialis Akbar, who was heavily criticized for handing out remissions too easily to corruption convicts.

High-profile graft convict Aulia Pohan was released on parole last year after serving just 20 months of his three-year prison term. Aulia, the father-in-law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's eldest son, was found guilty of embezzling Rp 100 billion ($11 million) from a central bank foundation in 2003.

Dozens of corruption convicts were paroled during Patrialis's administration, with some serving little more than half of their prison terms. Patrialis was replaced by Amir in October.

On Wednesday, Gerindra lawmaker Martin Hutabarat said that his faction was not aiming for Amir's new policy to be revoked. "We think that there should be an adjustment [of the policy] in line with existing rules and regulations," he said.

Benny K. Harman, chairman of House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, said that the commission had agreed to give Amir until Jan. 8 to amend his decree.

Golkar politician Azis Syamsuddin said that his party would formally question the ministerial decree, saying that it violated convicts' constitutional rights.

"As long as the policy remains unchanged, we will question it," Azis said, adding that changes needed to be made in the laws on corruption, terrorism and in the Criminal Code before such a decree could be implemented.

In October, Amir rejected the parole request of Golkar politician Paskah Suzetta, who was jailed for his role in a 2004 bribery scandal. The rejection prompted strong rejection from the House, which has seen more than 40 of its former and active members jailed for graft.