Jakarta, – The National Police Chief General Sutarman made a statement which is posted in some media, he said that survey institutions do not need to be criminalized. He stated that after survey institutions, such as Puskaptis, JSI, IRC and LSN has been reported to the police by number of activists who are members of the Indonesian Legal Aid Association (PBHI).
“Yes definitely we receive the report but all the survey institutions must use the scientific method and using their method. I think, these problems do not need to be criminalized,” he said after the plenary session of the Cabinet at the Presidential Office in Jakarta on Thursday, as quoted by merdeka.com (July 17th).
Responding to this, the Commissioner of the Central Information Commission, Rumadi regretted the statements of the Police Chief. “I deplore this statement, because based on the Law No.14 of 2008 on openness allows the survey institutions to be criminalized if causing misleading information,” he explained.
According to Rumadi, on article 55 of the Freedom of Information Law stated “Any person who purposely makes public information which is incorrect or misleading and causing losses to other person shall be punished with imprisonment of one year and or a maximum fine of IDR 5.000.000 (five million rupiahs).
“Imprisonment is an offense complaint. So, it was not true that survey organizations could not be criminalized, “he said. (AA)