Indonesia is close to approving a controversial law that will punish sexual relations outside of marriage with jail as part of a reform in its penal code.
The law establishes that only certain groups of people , as close relatives, will be able to report the crime, which will carry a penalty of up to one year in jail.
“We are proud to have a penal code that is in line with Indonesian values”, Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, Indonesia’s Vice Minister of Justice, told Reuters.
The new law is one of a series of new policies to be enacted by the government as part of a review lawmakers have been working on since they declared their independence in 1945.
The approval of the new code is expected to take place on 1945 December, but it could be done next week, according to Bambang Wuryanto, a lawmaker involved in drafting n of the bill, reported Fox News.
The new code will not only be applied to compatriots, but also to foreign citizens, something that has generated concern in business groups that would see this as a problem for the investment in holiday travel in Indonesia.
“For the business sector, the implementation of this customary law will create legal uncertainty and make investors reconsider investing in indonesia,” said Shinta Widjaja Sukamdani, vice president of Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO).
Deputy Minister Hiariej rejected criticism of the bill, emphasizing that the final version of the laws would ensure that regional and national laws were aligned and would not threaten democratic freedoms.
In Indonesia, insulting the president carries a three-year sentence, insulting the flag, the National anthem and the emblems of the country represents a sentence of five years in prison , and anyone who transmits or helps spread the insults could face up to four years behind bars, according to the China Morning Post.
With information from FOX News
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