Indonesia’s parliament is expected to pass a new criminal law this month that will make sex outside marriage punishable by up to a year in prison.
Bambang Wuryanto, a politician, involved in the project, said the code could be adopted as early as next week.
If passed, the law would apply to Indonesian citizens and foreigners.
The punishment for adultery can only take effect if there are parties who complain to the authorities.
For those who are married, the party entitled to file a complaint is the husband or wife of the offender.
The law also allows parents of unmarried people to report them for having sex.
Cohabitation before marriage will also be prohibited, and those convicted could face a six-month prison sentence.
According to Reuters, business groups have expressed concern about the damage the rules could do to Indonesia’s image as a vacation and investment destination.
Shinta Widjaja Sukamdani, Vice President of the Association of Indonesian Employers (APINDO), said: “For the business sector, the implementation of this customary law will create legal uncertainty and cause investors to reconsider their investment. in Indonesia.
The previous draft code was due to pass in 2019 but sparked nationwide protests with tens of thousands of people participating in demonstrations.
Many, including students, took to the streets in cities across Indonesia, with the main clashes in the capital Jakarta.
Tear gas and water cannons were used against protesters who had thrown stones at police.
Such strict laws on sex and relationships are not without precedent in parts of majority-Muslim Indonesia.
The province of Aceh enforces strict Islamic law and has punished people for gambling, drinking alcohol and meeting members of the opposite sex.
In one case in 2021, neighbours denounced two men for having sex. They each received 77 lashes from a police officer in a public caning.
On the same day a woman and man were each given 20 lashes for being caught in close proximity to each other, and two men were given 40 lashes each for getting drunk