Indonesian official to lose job for saying women can get pregnant from swimming in a pool with men

Update April 27: President Joko Widodo has dishonorably discharged Sitti Kikmawatty from KPAI in accordance with the ethics committee’s recommendation.

Original story follows.

The National Commission for the Protection of Indonesian Children (KPAI) has recommended the firing of commissioner Sitti Hikmawatty for saying that women can get pregnant from swimming in a pool with men.

First, let us splash right back into the controversy: on February 21, Sitti, who oversees child protection matters related to health and illegal narcotics, gave a video interview to Tribun Jakarta. In it, she began to touch on the issue of premarital sex and illegal abortion clinics in Indonesia, and then went on to give what has now become an infamous viral statement. 

“[Pregnancy] can happen without contact, like with a swimming pool acting as a median, for example. Some types of sperm are really strong,” she said.

“Even though there’s no penetration, the man [in the pool] can get aroused and ejaculate, causing pregnancy.”

Sitti faced an ethics committee over the statement, the latter of which came to the conclusion that she is no longer fit to serve as a KPAI commissioner. 

A letter outlining the outcome of the hearing, which leaked online yesterday evening, showed that the committee found that Sitti breached KPAI’s code of ethical conduct as her statement “elicited a widespread public response, not just from citizens of the country but also abroad, that came in the form of condemnation and ridicule that had negative effects on the commissioner, KPAI, and the state.”

The ethics committee noted that Sitti did not admit to her fault, even though the committee reminded her that owning up to one’s error is not frowned upon in an academic sense.

Based on the committee’s findings, KPAI gave Sitti until April 23 to voluntarily resign from her post, or it would write to President Joko Widodo recommending her dishonorable discharge from the institution.

“KPAI did not receive a resignation letter [from Sitti]. So, based on the result of the hearing, KPAI has recommended to the president to remove [Sitti] from her post,” KPAI Chairman Susanto wrote in a statement, as picked up by CNN Indonesia.

President Jokowi’s administration has yet to officially announce Sitti’s removal from KPAI.