Jakarta – The Regional Representatives Council (DPD) members are pushing for a constitutional amendment which would formalize press freedom as a pillar of democracy.
"Indonesian journalists need a regulation that protects them from criminalization, which will work only through a constitutional amendment," DPD member Muhammad Ichsan Loulembah told a talk show at the House Representatives on Friday.
The council draft amendment proposes inclusion of the Corruption Eradication Commission, General Elections Commission, Judicial Commission, National Commission on Human Rights and the Press Freedom Commission as specified permanent state institutions.
Ichsan said media workers deserve more protection due to the impact of the news they generate. "The 1945 constitution is the highest legislation in the country. Press freedom will be guaranteed if it is enshrined in the Constitution," he said.
Indonesian Press Council member Abdullah Alamudi and journalist Ricky Rahadi supported the plan. "We have been fighting for press freedom. The DPD plan encourages us," Alamudi said.
"We support the plan because the media stands among various interests and provides information to the public," Ricky, chief editor at Suara Karya newspaper, added.
However, Alamudi criticized some parts of the draft, which stipulated that "the press freedom commission will be appointed and discharged by the president, with the consent of the members of the House of Representatives.
"Actually as the fourth pillar of democracy, our responsibility is to the public, not to the president or legislators" Alamudi said.
According to Ichsan, only a few legislators are aware of press freedom, while most thought that the job of journalists and the media was limited to publishing news stories.
Alamudi also warned that many journalists failed themselves to capitalize on press freedom. According to the 2005 survey conducted by the Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), about 85 percent of journalists had never read the Press Code of Ethics. (naf)