REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed the approval of the draft law on criminal code (RKUHP) to be postponed. Earlier, the deadline was previously set on August 17.

"The president has instructed ministers that there would be no deadline (for the approval). The deadline will not be on August 17," Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Agus Rahardjo, stated at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Wednesday.

Rahardjo and four deputy chiefs of KPK, namely Alexander Marwata, Saut Situmorang, Laode Syarif, and Basaria Panjaitan have held a meeting with Widodo at the Presidential Palace. The president was accompanied by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H Laoly, State Secretary Minister Pratikno, and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.

Previously, Speaker of the House of Representatives Bambang Soesatyo remarked that the parliament would approve the draft law on criminal code on August 17, despite KPK's refusal on special crime that includes corruption cases.

The commission has demanded a separate law on corruption.

"We have conveyed our concern, especially on the draft law on criminal code. Among the issues that we conveyed, corruption cases should have a separate law from the criminal code. We conveyed the risks too," he added.

According to him, the government would continue the formulation of the draft law and accommodate KPK's recommendations.

"It (the RKUHP) would be formulated with our recommendation. At the end, there would not be refusal from KPK. Basically, it was delayed, and there would be no deadline," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H Laoly noted that some of KPK recommendations have been adopted in the draft law. "In fact, some of it has been accommodated, but still there are different perceptions in codification. The president would also seek inputs from other sources," he added.

Laoly admitted that the president had canceled the previous deadline. According to the minister, the disagreement between the government and KPK was merely a misconception.

"There must be a generic crime in the criminal code. That is all. We are still in some confinement with the KPK's legal department," he stated, adding that they would not force the draft law to be approved on August 17.

However, the minister noted that the draft law should be finished this year.

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