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Saturday, May 29, 2021 | 06:22 WIB

Chief Justice Anwar Usman opening a brainstorming event with the customary law/local community figures of the constitution villages on Friday (28/5/2021) in Tangerang, Banten. Photo by Humas MK/Panji.

BANTEN, Public Relations—The Constitutional Court (MK) hold a brainstorming event with the customary law/local community figures of the constitution villages on Friday, May 28, 2021 in Tangerang, Banten. The event served as a forum for said figures to share ideas and information regarding the dynamics, problems, experiences, and aspirations of managing the villages. The event was officially opened by Chief Justice Anwar Usman.

In his opening remarks, the chief justice said that the Court’s efforts to initiate the constitution villages started in 2012 to improve constitutional awareness bottom-up, starting from the lowest level of administration. The constitutional values that the Court intended to instill came from the local wisdom in the communities.

“The values and norms of the Constitution must live and develop in the community. The Constitution as the supreme law of the land must be understood, interpreted, and implemented by all elements of the nation. Without understanding, interpreting, and implementing it, the nation and state cannot reach its goals. That is because the state’s goals are contained in the Constitution,” he said.

Justice Anwar added that the brainstorming served to bridge communication between constitution villages. Since 2012, the Court has appointed three constitution villages. “They are Gaelasong Village in Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi Selatan; Kampung Wasur Village in Merauke Regency, Papua; and Bangbang Village in Bangli Regency, Bali. At present, the academics from the Andalas University of Padang, led by rector Yuliandri, and the Constitutional Court will also appoint a constitution village/nagari in West Sumatera,” he said.

The brainstorming was expected to create synergy, coordination, and a strong relationship between the Court and the villages as well as between the villages themselves. It also serves as a means to collect inputs on constitutional, legal, and customary law issues relevant to each village. The meeting bridged communities of diverse ethnicities, languages, and customs to share their experience, views, and ideas.

Before concluding his remarks and opening the event, Justice Anwar said that the Court saw its duty to facilitate and disseminate constitutional values, including through the event, as its inherent characteristic to ensure that the Constitution as the supreme law of the land is truly implemented.

Writer        : Panji Erawan
Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 5/29/2021 08:55 WIB

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian version, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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