Genlin met with the Indonesian President's niece, Member of Parliament Sara
- 3 days ago
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Hong Kong, March 9, 2026
On March 9, Genlin (Horiike Hiroshi), founder of the World Dog Alliance (WDA), met with Rahayu Saraswati (Sara), niece of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and a member of parliament (DPR), at the Kerry Hotel in Hong Kong to discuss Indonesia's nationwide legislation to ban the consumption of dogs and cats.
At the meeting, Sara introduced Indonesia's unique legislative process and social environment. She pointed out that, considering Indonesia's complex religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, the best approach to legislation is from a public health perspective, avoiding sensitive topics as much as possible, which would make any consensus easier to reach.
Sara stated that she would arrange a meeting between Genlin and Indonesian President Prabowo (her uncle), ideally before Indonesia finalizes a national law banning the consumption of dogs and cats. WDA has also entrusted her to deliver a letter to the Indonesian President and submitted legal texts from various countries around the world that ban the consumption of dogs and cats, as a reference for Indonesia's legislation.
The Indonesian legislative process is as follows:
In Indonesia, the process of enacting national laws (Undang-Undang, abbreviated as UU) is primarily governed by Law No. 12 of 2011 (regarding the enactment of legislative provisions) and its amendments. In Indonesia's legislative process, "mutual agreement" (Musyawarah) is considered extremely important and typically requires the joint consent of the President and the National Representative Assembly (DPR).
The five main stages of Indonesian lawmaking are as follows:
1. Planning Phase
Legislative proposals can be put forward by the National Assembly (DPR), the President (Government), or, for specific matters, by the Local Representative Council (DPD).
• National Legislative Plan (Prolegnas): All bills must generally be registered in the "National Legislative Plan". This is a list of priority bills jointly developed by the DPR and the government (divided into five-year plans and annual plans).
• Academic Report (Naskah Akademik): Each draft bill must be accompanied by an academic report explaining the background, legal basis, and purpose of the legislation.
2. Preparation / Drafting Stage
• If a bill is introduced by the DPR, it is drafted by the relevant committee or the Legislative Yuan (Baleg).
• If the bill is proposed by the government, it will be drafted by the relevant ministry and coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.
• Surpres: Bills proposed by the government are sent to the DPR along with a surpres signed by the president. Conversely, bills proposed by the DPR are also sent to the president for review.
3. Discussion Stage
This is the most crucial stage, which usually involves a "two-tiered review system" in Congress.
• Level I Discussion: Conducted within the DPR's standing commission or special committee. Content includes:
o Statements of position by the government and the DPR.
o Item-by-item discussion (DIM: List of Issues): This is a process unique to Indonesia, where the government and the DPR will negotiate each point of the bill based on a detailed "List of Issues".
Ultimately, a "meeting of initial review" was achieved.
4. Approval and Signing Stage
• Mutual consent: A bill is considered to have obtained “mutual consent” once it is passed by the plenary session.
• Presidential Signature: The bill will then be sent to the President for signature.
• The 30-day rule: According to the constitution, if the president fails to sign a bill within 30 days of its passage in a plenary session, the bill will automatically become law. This mechanism is designed to ensure that the legislative process is not stalled due to delays by the head of government.
5. Promulgation Phase
• Laws are registered by the State Secretariat and published in the National Gazette (Lembaran Negara).
• Once published in the gazette, the law becomes legally binding (unless otherwise specified in the text of the law as an effective date).
Background Analysis of the Implementation of the "Law Banning the Consumption of Dogs and Cats" in Indonesia:
• In the initial stages, including the executive branch (the President and relevant ministries) in the negotiations is important because if the government refuses to participate in the negotiations, the bill will not be initiated.
• Achieving consensus among the eight parties in the ruling coalition: In Indonesia's political environment, the President typically wields significant influence over the ruling coalition. Without the president's support, it is difficult for these eight parties to act unilaterally in parliament.
• Constitutional Court: Even if the law is successfully enacted and signed by the president, the opposition may still file for constitutional review with Indonesia's Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi), potentially on the grounds that the law infringes on cultural traditions or the rights of specific groups.
Conclusion: In Indonesia, the President's power is more manifested in "refusing joint consultation" (preventing legislation from progressing) than in exercising a "veto power" after a bill has been passed, as is the case in the United States. Once the government and parliament reach a consensus in a public forum, the president cannot unilaterally prevent it from taking effect.
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