Leon Agusta, Jakarta – After a disappearance from public attention, the anti-pornography and anti-porn bill has now resurfaced with the new name "Anti-Pornography Bill", when several factions in the House of Representatives, in particular the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), United Development Party (PPP), and Golkar – after initially questioning it, sent on the bill without the required approval of a plenary session to the government executives for further study.

Other factions had held a critical stance from the beginning, such as the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), National Awakening Party (PKB), and the National Mandate Party (PAN), were not given the opportunity to put forward their opinions.

In terms of legal procedure, the bill is flawed. Thus we need to ask: Why were these factions so anxious to hand the bill over to the executive body that they actually broke the rules?

The definition of pornography according to the bill says: "Pornography is any man-made work that includes sexual materials in the form of drawings, sketches, illustrations, photographs, text, sound, moving pictures, animation, cartoons, poetry, conversation, or any other form of communicative messages; it also may be shown through the media in front of the public; it can arouse lust and lead to the violation of normative values within society; and it can also cause the development of pornographic acts within society".

In regard to exceptions, the bill stipulates that: "... it does not include the making, the distribution, and the use of pornography for a) sexual dysfunctions therapy, b) art and cultural performances, and c) customary and traditional rituals".

During a discussion, organized by a private radio station in Jakarta last week, poet W.S. Rendra asserted that: "The bill displays a crisis of common sense. It is against Pancasila (Five Principles ideology), and there is no existing law that calls for it. It is against the principles of social justice and the sovereignty of the people.... The Pornography Bill is culturally dangerous. Anything that cannot be defined with clarity should never be turned into a binding law. Pornography should be left within the territory of morality and religions – not some act. The Pornography Bill is flawed as it neglects the codes of morality and the codes of religions."

Having heard Rendra's words regarding the potential dangers of the bill once it is approved, some said, "It would be great to see him speak during a parliamentary session".

"Would that be possible?"

Speaking in the same forum, Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid also underlined the dangers of this bill.

"The bill is politics-ridden; it is a political agenda. It might be used to justify repressive conduct. As a woman I don't feel protected. As a woman I actually feel under threat. What they should've done is maximize the implementation of laws and other legal acts that we already have instead of turning the law into some kind of commodity," she said.

At Taman Ismail Marzuki, a home shared by artists, last Nov. 28, the reaction toward the bill was unanimous acrimony. Marco Kosumawijaya, the executive of the Jakarta Arts Council, strongly objected to the Pornography Bill. "The reasoning behind the bill is ambiguous..."

According to Marco, to put bodily expressions in the arts, culture, and customs under the same category as pornography is blasphemy toward the arts, culture, and customs themselves.

Would the respectable members of the legislature be willing to take the reactions of the people into consideration during their final sessions on the bill?"

It is hard to tell (or is it?).

Apparently, it will take some time before any side can win this battle. It is also apparent that it is highly possible that if the controversy becomes too extensive, the whole matter will one day make its way into the Constitutional Court.

It is hard to believe that this country can give birth to such a bill. It is inevitable that some might get the impression that the House of Representatives, or at least the Pornography Bill Special Committee, is intentionally sowing the seeds of catastrophe in this nation.

This is terrifying! Why can't they see this? What is really going on in that house of voices?

[The writer is a poet.]