Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat giving a public lecture at the Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatera, Friday (7/15/2022). Photo by Humas MK/Dhini.
Friday, July 15, 2022 | 19:24 WIB
JAKARTA, Public Relations—Several Muslim-majority countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia have differences in the application of state ideology. Of these three countries, only Indonesia whose constitution and legal provisions uphold the values of religion and beliefs. For example, the nine constitutional justices have different religions but in making decisions they always refer to the belief in One Supreme God according to their respective faiths. This statement was made by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat in a public lecture on “Improving the Understanding of the Citizens’ Constitutional Rights” at the Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatera (UMSU) on Friday, July 15, 2022. The lecture was moderated by the Head of the Public Relations and National Affairs Department Fajar Laksono.
“It is important to raise the universal value of the heterogeneity of Indonesian society, including the diversity of beliefs practiced by its inhabitants. If it is related to the law, it is not justified to make it a commodity or trade it. Because the law cannot be used as an object. For that, let's live the law by being illuminated by the Almighty God as carried out by constitutional judges in the implementation of law in Indonesia,” he said before UMSU Rector Agussani, Law Faculty Dean Faisal, and faculty members and students.
He revealed that Turkey is a secular state, while Pakistan bases its nation life on one religion, Islam. Meanwhile, Indonesia chose to synergize its people’s diverse religions and beliefs.
“The synergy and universal values of faiths in Indonesia is synergized into one foundation, including in law, as mentioned in Pancasila,” he explained.
All-Encompassing
Justice Arief urged the participants to understand the distinct quality of the Indonesian Constitution, which regulates all aspects of national and state life, from politics, law, social life, economy, etc. Therefore, in examining and deciding judicial review petitions of laws, the constitutional justices discuss various legal norms that regulate many aspects of the life of the nation and state of the Indonesian people.
He also talked about how the founders formulated the foundation of the state in the early days after the independence. The Investigating Committee for Preparatory Works for Independence (BPUPKI) and the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI) reflected the diversity of Indonesians. Muslim figures of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah were members. When they formed the concept of the state, the Muslim figures did not insist that Indonesia be an Islamic state. They chose to accommodate the aspirations of members from the eastern parts of Indonesia, who were Christians, through Pancasila. The ideology was formed based on the diverse ethnicity, race, and religion in Indonesia at the time. Such diversity remains today. Therefore, Justice Arief urged law students of UMSU and the participants of the lecture to observe the minute of the discussions to form the 1945 Constitution.
“Their example must be implemented in today’s life, especially how they deliberate to make important decisions for the nation in order to maintain national integrity, which we can still see in the government,” he urged.
Improving Cooperation
At the event, Secretary-General M. Guntur Hamzah also said that the cooperation between the Constitutional Court and UMSU, which had been going on for five years, must be innovated, such as through renewing their memorandum of understanding (MoU) with digital signatures. Such cooperation, he said, would help both institutions improve constitutional awareness among all elements of community.
“Therefore, the cooperation will facilitate the Constitutional Court in realizing law-based democracy based on Pancasila, as universities have become the Court’s intellectual partners in introducing the Court and its functions and authorities,” he said.
The public lecture, Guntur added, was an implementation of the MoU where the Court presented constitutional justices while UMSU organized an open discussion for academics with the justices.
Influence of Constitutional Justices
UMSU rector Agussani said in his remarks that UMSU and the Court’s commitment was shown in its continuous efforts to develop UMSU students. He also admitted that the constitutional justices had a great influence in the development of the Law Faculty of UMSU through their public lectures.
“One of the influences is on the A accreditation of UMSU’s law graduate program. UMSU lately developed its education level by establishing a new doctorate program in the Law Faculty, also thanks to the constitutional justices who always support UMSU’s progress,” he said.
Justice Arief also witnessed the MoU signing, which took place at the auditorium of UMSU. The MoU was signed by UMSU rector Agussani and the Constitutional Court’s Secretary-General M. Guntur Hamzah digitally.
Writer : Sri Pujianti
Editor : Nur R.
Translator : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)
Translation uploaded on 7/25/2022 14:49 WIB
Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian versions, the Indonesian version will prevail.
Friday, July 15, 2022 | 19:24 WIB 162