Indonesian parliament passes legislation to outlaw extra-marital sex

Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly (right), receives the new criminal code report from Bambang Wuryanto, head of the parliamentary commission overseeing the revision, during a parliamentary plenary meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Dec 6, 2022. - Reuters

JAKARTA (AFP): Indonesia's parliament approved Tuesday (Dec 6) legislation that would outlaw pre-marital sex while making other sweeping changes to the criminal code -- a move critics deemed as a setback to the country's freedoms.

After the controversial new criminal code received the majority of votes from lawmakers during the plenary session, deputy house speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad banged the gavel to signal the text was approved and shouted "legal".