Permissive Attitude the Biggest Problem

People understand corruption to be something very complex. This situation must be fixed through anticorruption education from an early age on.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

A student watches a theatrical piece titled "Trap Mice with Ties" conducted by artist Rasyidin Wig Maroe at SD 4 Mojosongo state elementary school, Surakarta, Central Java, on Monday (9/12/2019). The activity, which was held to mark World Anti-Corruption Day, was used as a means to instill an anticorruption spirit in children from an early age.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Permissive attitudes and views on corrupt behavior are the biggest enemies of corruption eradication, besides problems of the system and the character of state administrators. This situation must be fixed through anticorruption education from an early age on.

The results of a Kompas Research and Development poll conducted from Dec. 4 to Dec. 5 and involving 512 respondents in 17 large cities show that people understand corruption to be something very complex. With regard to corruption committed by regional leaders, greed ranks as the top factor believed to cause corruption (92.4 percent).

In a speech about corruption eradication efforts at an event to commemorate World Anti-Corruption Day at the SMK 57 Jakarta state vocational school on Monday (9/12/2019), President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo emphasized the need for developing an awareness about corruption from an early age on. Besides reaching around 50 million students, instilling anticorruption awareness in schools could also target around 3.5 million teachers.

The problem of deep-rooted corruption today reflected a lack of anticorruption education from an early age on.

"Corruption should not be done by anyone, so the emphasis is what we want to give," said the President.

The President also said that measures against corruption had to be continued. However, this step had to be part of an effective strategy to eradicate corruption in Indonesia.

Therefore, the President identified four areas that needed to be evaluated, namely the system to close loopholes allowing for corruption, political recruitment, the focus on eradicating corruption and actions connected to improving the system.

Meanwhile, the head of the postgraduate study program of Driyarkara School of Philosophy, Herry Priyono, said the problem of deep-rooted corruption today reflected a lack of anticorruption education from an early age on. Thus far, efforts to eradicate corruption had focused more on aspects of law enforcement, not involving educators for prevention.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators display Rp 110 million in cash at a press conference on the results of a sting operation on bribery allegations related to a waterway project in Yogyakarta at the KPK building in South Jakarta on Aug. 20. (20/8/2019).

“The whole debate about system changes is limited to big words, because if the law and the bureaucratic system are corrected but the quality of politicians and citizens is not improved, it will not go anywhere," said the author of the book Corruption: Tracking the Meaning, Listening to the Implications.

What is meant by anticorruption education is not only in the form of lessons included in the curriculum but the anticorruption ethos that is injected in the daily teaching and learning process, even since kindergarten. This education requires a long process and time and must be done in tandem with system changes. The change in the system is transforming the government bureaucracy from political and partisan to be based on competence and professionalism.

Early anticorruption education is needed because, according to Parahyangan University criminal law lecturer Agustinus Pohan, the fundamental problem amid the complexity of corruption is the banality of corruption itself.

When corruption is no longer seen as an extraordinary crime but as a natural thing, the system being built is also weak. Officials no longer think twice before committing corruption. Law enforcement is also weak, because corruption is no longer seen as an extraordinary crime.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Students from various universities flock to Jl. Gatot Subroto to take part a demonstration in front of the Senayan Legislative Building in Jakarta on Tuesday (24/9/2019). The demonstrators were objecting to problematic articles in a bill to revise the Criminal Code Bill and were demanding that the recently approved revisions of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law be revoked.

Not present at KPK

Yesterday, President Jokowi did not attend the commemoration of the International Anti-Corruption Day at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). The President assigned Vice-President Ma\'ruf Amin instead. "Every year I was present. Not this year, however, as Pak Ma\'ruf has never been there, so we have to share. I don’t have to be there every year, right? Because Pak Ma\'ruf has never been there, so [I told him] please, Pak Ma\'ruf. I will go somewhere else," the President said of his absence.

In his remarks, the Vice President said improvements to regulations and institutional governance will continue. This policy is balanced with supervision that involves public participation through information disclosure.

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said measures to fight or prevent corruption were not yet completed. Therefore, efforts to eradicate corruption had to continue, including to continue to increase on the Corruption Perceptions Index (IPK).

Measures to fight or prevent corruption were not yet completed.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin said prevention needed to be prioritized, but doing that through law enforcement was not enough. All elements and agencies had to strengthen prevention and not make it a formality.

National Police chief Gen. Idham Azis emphasized that the National Police continued to strengthen synergy with law enforcement agencies, such as the KPK and the Attorney General\'s Office, to eradicate corruption. The commitment of the National Police to overcome corruption is demonstrated by the system of supervision and prevention in the National Police\'s Crime Investigation Department down to all regional units, including by appointing the best investigators in the field of corruption to be assigned to the KPK. (AGE/ INA/ SAN/ INK/ REK/ LAS/ INK)