The Petitioners\\' attorney Hery Chariansyah (Second from left) reading out the principle points of revision in the judicial review hearing of the Broadcasting Law on Wednesday (15/11) at the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

The Constitutional Court (MK) once again held a judicial review hearing on the regulation of cigarette advertising petitioned by several autonomous organizations of Muhammadiyah on Wednesday (15/11). In the hearing, the Petitioners replaced the articles being reviewed to Article 46 paragraph (3) letter c of Law No. 32/2002 on Broadcasting and Article 13 letter c of Law No. 40/1999 on Press.

At the previous hearing, the Petitioners—Pemuda Muhammadiyah, Ikatan Pelajar Muhammadiyah, Nasyi’atul Aisyiyah, and the Indonesian Social Empowerment Foundation—reviewed Article 46 paragraph (3) letters b and c of the Broadcasting Law and Article 13 letters b and c of the Press Law.

The Petitioner\\'s attorney Hery Chariansyah explained that the change of articles being reviewed was done after an evaluation. The Petitioners found the affirmation that cigarette contains addictive substances in Decision of the Constitutional Court No. 6/PUU-VIII/2009 and No. 71/ PUU-XI/2013 and Article 113 of Health Law. "This led us to remove Article 46 paragraph (3) letter b of the Broadcasting Law and Article 13 letter b of the Press Law from our petition," he explained in the session chaired by Constitutional Justice Maria Farida Indrati.

During the preliminary hearing on Monday (30/10), the Petitioners argued that cigarette advertisements can affect consumers to smoke, while cigarette contains harmful substances. The Petitioners request a ban on cigarette advertising even though cigarettes are legal goods. (ARS/LA/Yuniar Widiastuti)