Petitioner Artiningkun explaining the revisions to the judicial review petition of the Law on the National Flag, Language, Emblem, and Anthem, Wednesday (1/17/2024). Photo by MKRI/Ilham W. M.

---

JAKARTA (MKRI) — Artiningkun, a retired state civil apparatus (ASN) of the Bojonegoro Regency Office of Religious Affairs attended another judicial review hearing of Law No. 24 of 2009 on the National Flag, Language, Emblem, and Anthem (BBLNLK Law) in the Constitutional Court (MK) virtually. The second hearing for case No. 161/PUU-XXI/2023, presided over by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat along with Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah, took place on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.

The Petitioner challenges Article 25 paragraph (1) of the BBLNLK Law, which stipulates that bahasa Indonesia (the Indonesian language) is the official language of Indonesia. She explained the revisions to the petition, which included those on her legal standing, the background of the petition, and the touchstones. “The enforcement of the norm being reviewed, all decision letters, security, diplomas, and other official documents have discredited the state as they still use and refer to the van Ophuijsen spelling,” she said.

Also read: Old Spelling Still Listed, BBLNLK Law Challenged

At the preliminary hearing on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, the Petitioner argued that the article’s interpretation of the Indonesian language has discredited or weakened the nation’s authority since the variation still uses the Van Ophuijsen spelling used by Dutch people, also known as bahasa Melayu (Malay). She believes that, as a result, the norm has become a made-up law that contradicts the 1945 Constitution. Therefore, she requests that the Court declare it unconstitutional.

Author       : Sri Pujianti
Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR            : Tiara Agustina
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

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.

---