Jakarta – The country’s peek religious body, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), is calling on the Indonesian public to use their right to vote on voting day in the 2019 presidential and legislative elections on April 17. Taking a position of not voting or golput is haram – forbidden under Islamic law.

Samarinda – Scores of protesters wearing multi-coloured clothing from the Samarinda Anti-Sexism Alliance began gathering at 2 pm local time at the Samarendah Park on Friday March 8.

Luqman Hakim, Yogyakarta – An alliance of women’s groups in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held a peaceful action at the zero kilometre point in front of the central post office on Friday March 8 to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2019.

In the framework of commemorating International Women’s Day (IWD) which falls on March 8 each year, the Lampung Women’s March held a creative action parade today in the North Sumatra city of Lampung.

Oktaviani – The “sumpah pocong” challenge thrown up by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Wiranto to former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Green Berets) commander Major General Kivlan Zein is inappropriate.

Christoforus Ristianto, Jakarta – The coordinator and also a victim of the 1989 Talangsari massacre, Edi Hasadad, is asking the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to ignore a recent peace declaration as a means to resolve the case.

Juli Hantoro, Jakarta – The director of the Jakarta Alimat Network (Indonesian Family Justice Movement), Maria Ulfah Anshor, says that opposition to the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence (RUU PKS) is ridden with the politicisation of religion to take advantage of the momentum of the elections.

Jakarta – The Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno election campaign team (BPN) has admitted that three housewives in Karawang, West Java, who went door-to-door telling people that “the call to prayer would be banned and same-sex marriage would be allowed if Jokowi wins” are indeed election campaign volunteers.

Padang – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) chairperson Ahmad Taufan Damanik says that the move by the West Sumatra (Sumbar) provincial government to wage war on the deviant sexual behaviour of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people does not violate Human Rights (HAM).

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) has denied rumors that they are deliberating a law to legalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activities.

The denial follows rumors about the ratification of a draft LGBT Law (RUU LGBT) in a broadcast message circulated on WhatsApp groups and social media.

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III member Arsul Sani says that the government’s planned revisions to the 2009 Narcotics Law could open the way for the involvement of TNI (Indonesian military) personnel in combating the drug trade.

Muhammad Ifdhal, Banda Aceh – Aceh Regional House of Representatives (DPRA) Commission VIII chairperson Ghufran Zainal Abidin says that Indonesia’s western-most province rejects the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence (RUU PKS) which is currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives (DPR).

Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – The Islamic based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) has rejected the Draft law (RUU) on the Elimination of Sexual Violence.

Fadiyah Alaidrus – Padang Mayor Mahyeldi Ansharullah views Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people as a sickness that is caused by the environment and economic factors.

Jakarta – The planned release of Abu Bakar Bashir has turned into a polemic with the government still vacillating about whether or not to release the leader of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI).

Andhika Prasetia and Rachmadi Rasyad, West Bandung – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s vice presidential running mate Ma’ruf Amin says that he proposed the release of Al-Mu’min Islamic boarding school leader Abu Bakar Bashir back in 2018. But at the time, Bashir still had to submit an appeal for clemency with President Widodo.

Jakarta – Indonesian Institute for Science (LIPI) researcher Amin Mudzakir has revealed that that based on the results of a LIPI survey in 2018, there are three regions where there is a high-level of acceptance of fake news or hoaxes.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – Tommy Suharto’s Working Party (Partai Berkarya) has spoken out about communism – which is banned in Indonesia – in relation to the seizure of books deemed to contain communist ideas in Padang on January 8. The party says that groups who are against former President Suharto are pro-communist.

Ya’cob Billiocta – 212 Alumni Brotherhood Secretary General Bernard Abdul Jabbar believes that the Koran reading test for prospective presidential (capres) and vice presidential candidates (cawapres) proposed by the Aceh Proselytizing Association Council is not relevant in national elections.

Jakarta – Home Affairs Ministry (Kemendagri) director general for politics and public administration, Soedarmo, has stated that the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) is not registered with the ministry as an ormas (social or mass organisation).