Editorial
Rushing a flawed asset forfeiture bill to meet a performative political deadline won't stop oligarchs, it will just hand the state a dangerous new weapon against its critics.
Representative of the protestors from Central Java’s Pati community alliance, Supriyono, attends a meeting to voice grievances to the House of Representatives at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta on Aug. 27, 2026. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
If drama were a metric of legislative commitment, the asset forfeiture bill would already be law.
The House of Representatives leaders on Aug. 27 signed a written pledge to pass the bill by Dec. 15, or step down. Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad made the promise after meeting protestors from Central Java’s Pati community alliance in the Senayan Legislative Complex, Central Jakarta.
