Prabowo Rallies Political Coalition to Back Asset Seizure Bill, Avoids Emergency Regulation
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JAKARTA, investortrust.id — President Prabowo Subianto has raised the urgency of passing a long-delayed asset seizure bill, underscoring his anti-corruption agenda by discussing the matter with leaders of his ruling coalition during recent high-level political talks.
The proposed law, known as the Asset Seizure Bill, aims to strengthen legal mechanisms for recovering illicit wealth. According to Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Prabowo addressed the bill directly in a meeting with party leaders in the ruling coalition supporting President Prabowo Subianto, known as the Forward Indonesia Coalition, signaling its status as a legislative priority.
The president’s push for the bill aligns with one of the core pillars of his administration’s vision, known as Asta Cita, which includes eradicating corruption. “This isn’t something he’s ignored. In meetings with party chairs, this bill was one of the issues discussed,” said Prasetyo at the Presidential Palace complex on Friday, May 9, 2025.
Prabowo reaffirmed this commitment publicly during his address at the 2025 International Workers’ Day rally on Thursday, May 1. According to Prasetyo, this reinforces how anti-corruption efforts, including asset recovery, are foundational to the Prabowo-Gibran administration’s national reform plans.
Despite strong support, the president has not opted to issue a government regulation in lieu of law, or perppu, which would fast-track the legislation. Instead, Prabowo is choosing to engage parliamentarians and party allies in the House of Representatives, DPR, to build consensus through formal channels.
“As of now, there’s no plan to issue a perppu. We are focusing on dialogue with lawmakers and political parties,” Prasetyo added.
House Speaker Puan Maharani responded cautiously to Prabowo’s call for swift action, saying that while the DPR acknowledges the bill’s importance, it must first gather public feedback to ensure alignment with legal procedures and societal expectations.
“We don’t want to rush. We’ll begin by hearing input from all sectors of society,” Puan said on Wednesday, May 7, at the parliament complex.
She added that the legislative process will prioritize the revision of Indonesia’s Criminal Procedure Code, known as the RUU KUHAP, before moving on to the Asset Seizure Bill. According to Puan, this approach ensures legal consistency and minimizes procedural risks.
“Hurrying through the process could result in inconsistencies with existing legal frameworks. We need to follow the proper mechanism,” she said.
Globally, asset recovery has been recognized as an essential part of sustainable governance. The United Nations Convention against Corruption, adopted on December 9, 2003, identifies corruption as a serious crime that threatens national stability and sustainable development. This principle was shaped by the 1987 Brundtland Commission’s definition of sustainable development and has since become embedded in international legal standards.
Indonesia ratified the convention in 2006 and has taken steps to implement its provisions through a range of legal instruments, including Law No. 31/1999 on the Eradication of Corruption (amended by Law No. 20/2001), the establishment of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) under Law No. 30/2002, and other anti-graft initiatives.
While these efforts form a robust framework, the government views the Asset Seizure Bill as the next step toward fully realizing the goals of international anti-corruption treaties—particularly the recovery of illicit assets that have long evaded legal reach.