REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) has called on the government to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to protect Indonesians from the negative effects of smoking, Deputy Secretary General Amirsyah Tambunan said here Thursday.

"Even though President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is going to step down on Oct 20, we call on him to ratify the framework for tobacco control. If the government does not care about this, the people will always be the victim," said Amirsyah.

According to Indonesian law, the government had an obligation to protect the citizen. Ratifying the framework convention for tobacco control would allow the government to protect the Indonesian people from the negative effects of smoking, he said.

President Yudhoyono has the opportunity to leave a good legacy for the people if he decides to ratify the tobacco control convention before stepping down, advisor to the National Commission for Tobacco Control Kartono Muhammad said echoing Emirsyah's views.