Dessy Sagita & Ezra Sihite – Indonesia's Home Affairs Ministry on Tuesday denied reports that it has canceled nine bylaws regulating the trade of alcohol after questions from politicians and angry reactions from Islamic organizations.
"The minister [Gamawan Fauzi] did not revoke any bylaws on alcohol, it's just an evaluation to adjust some points, not a cancellation," a spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry, Reydonnyzar Moenek, said on Tuesday.
Reports that the ministry had revoked bylaws restricting alcohol sales in Tangeran and West Java's Bandung and Indramayu sparked angry reactions, particularly from Islamic organizations.
Lawmakers such as Gandjar Pranowo, from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), and Anis Matta, from the Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), both strongly criticized the idea of revoking the bylaws. They said such a move would be an insensitive step that could harm the public.
Others claimed that lifting restrictions on alcohol sales would pose a risk to public order. "There are many security issues related to this, it's not simply a matter of religion," Anis said earlier on Tuesday.
But the ministry spokesman said it was all a misunderstanding. "I would like to emphasize that the minister supports limitations on alcohol sales in Indonesia," Reydonnyzar said.
The ministry, he said, has been evaluating some 9,000 bylaws issued between 2000 and 2011. "Among all those bylaws, we decided to re-evaluate 351 bylaws because they were potentially in conflict with higher laws or regulations," he said. Nine bylaws issued in Bandung, Bali, Tangerang and several other areas were among those being evaluated.
Redonnyzar said alcohol was classified into three categories: A (with an alcohol content of 5 percent or less), B (above 5 percent to 20 percent) and C (above 20 percent to 55 percent).
National regulations state that the sale of alcohol classified as B and C should be controlled and limited to places such as hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and duty-free shops. Alcohol classified in the A group, such as beer, can be sold anywhere.
"The problem was that regional governments erased the categories and simply banned all kinds of alcohol, which should not happen, and we just want to clarify that point," the spokesman said.
Reydonnyzar said the ministry was aware of the strong reaction from many parties regarding the matter. However, he said, the protests were merely the result of a misunderstanding.
"People protested because they didn't understand that we are not trying to revoke any bylaw on alcohol," he said. "It's about re-adjustment, not cancellation."