Delegation examines mediation and legal consultation under Indonesia’s local legal aid programme.
A delegation from the Embassy of Singapore in Indonesia visited the Tamansari Urban Village Office in West Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, to study the implementation of Indonesia’s Legal Aid Posts (Pos Bantuan Hukum, or Posbankum). Arranged at the invitation of the Jakarta Regional Office of Indonesia’s Ministry of Law, the visit focused on how community-level legal services provide residents with access to legal information, assistance, advocacy and mediation.
West Jakarta Mayor Iin Mutmainnah said the visit enabled the Singaporean delegation to observe Posbankum operations and learn about the role of Indonesia’s neighbourhood administrative structures in resolving disputes.
“In principle, Tamansari cannot be compared directly with Singapore. However, in terms of governance, there is no structure there down to the RT and RW levels. That is what caught their attention,” Mayor Mutmainnah said.
She explained that neighbourhood associations (Rukun Tetangga, or RT) and community units (Rukun Warga, or RW) served as communication links between residents and the government. These structures also supported mediation, helping resolve community disputes before they developed into more serious legal problems.
According to Mayor Mutmainnah, the Tamansari Posbankum provided four main services: legal consultation and information, legal assistance and advocacy, mediation or out-of-court dispute resolution, and referrals to advocates.
“The existence of Posbankum in Tamansari is very important for maintaining social stability. Through mediation, various problems can be resolved before they develop into legal issues,” she said.
Mayor Mutmainnah hoped the visit would encourage continued exchanges of experience between Indonesia and Singapore. Potential areas for future cooperation included legal awareness, child- and women-friendly urban development, protection for vulnerable groups, and efforts to reduce violence against women and children. She also expressed interest in expanding cooperation to support Jakarta’s development as a global city.
Ms Esther Lee, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Singapore in Indonesia, highlighted differences between the two countries’ social structures, particularly Singapore’s lack of an administrative system equivalent to Indonesia’s RT and RW arrangements.
“Our approaches to legal aid are quite different. I would say our approach is more centralised,” Ms Lee said, adding that the visit provided insights into ways of making legal assistance accessible to the public.
Tamansari Urban Village Head Abdul Malik Raharusun said the area combined residential neighbourhoods, tourism and business activities, creating a diverse social environment in which disputes could arise. He explained that the local Posbankum, supported by paralegals and community leaders, helped residents resolve disputes through mediation.
“The cases most frequently handled here involve land disputes. There are also inheritance matters, complaints from residents about the trade in flammable goods, and cases involving foreign nationals that have been successfully resolved through mediation,” Mr Raharusun said.
Source: ANTARA News
