Corruption Remains Massive, What Next...

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Former Secretary of the Supreme Court, Nurhadi (vest) left the Corruption Eradication Commission Building, Jakarta, Tuesday (2/6/2020). Nurhadi and Rezky are suspects of bribery or gratification cases related to handling cases in the Supreme Court with a value of around Rp 46 billion. They were arrested after almost four months before they were wanted.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has released a study of the hitherto rampant corruption in the sector of forestry. This corruption inflicts financial losses on the state worth over 10 trillion rupiah annually.

The KPK conducted the research along with the UP4 Anti-Corruption Resources Center. The study has also revealed the poor supervision in the forestry sector, which results in the increasingly massive corruption in this sphere. It only serves to affirm the public suspicion that corruption is even more widespread and connected with the political system and the lack of commitment to eradicating graft.

Also read: The Regional Elections and ‘Cukongkrasi’

Previously, there was already a KPK study on regional elections. The KPK stated that 82 percent of regional head candidates were funded by cukong or political financiers. Consequently, regional heads will pay the political cost with policies that favor the financiers after they are elected. This is policy corruption that poses great danger to the continuity of development, including the danger of environmental destruction. Democracy is subordinated to the power of capitalists.

The question is, after the release of both studies, what next? Is the KPK going to be an agency for corruption studies, an area so far handled by higher educational institutes and researchers? In terms of propriety, certainly it should not be the case.

KOMPAS/PRAYOGI DWI SULISTYO

The Corruption Eradication Commission led by KPK Deputy Chairman Nawawi Pomolango (center) held a press conference on the activities of the arrest of the East Kutai Regent, East Kalimantan, Ismunandar at the KPK Building, Jakarta, Friday (3/7/2020).

Although it has been “weakened”, the KPK still reserves its authority if it’s willing to eliminate corruption. The public continues its support in spite of the declining trend. The KPK’s aggressive action to exterminate corruption in lucrative sectors can heighten public support if the KPK is prepared to do so.

We hope the KPK will not become a mass organization touring regions and only warning people against committing corruption. This method will never solve the problem of corruption in the country.

It will be better if the KPK ventures to choose one area as a pilot project.

The new-era KPK that changes its corruption handling strategy toward the aspect of prevention, as intended by the government, should be able to determine which area requires focus to be cleared of corruption, whether it is in forestry, mining, regional elections, or government expenditure. It will be better if the KPK ventures to choose one area as a pilot project.

Also read: Largest Payback in Corruption Case

A pilot approach for the prevention and elimination of corruption may be worth trying. So far, Scandinavian countries have been rated as clean nations based on corruption perception index data. Why can Scandinavian countries be cleared of corruption? What is the cause? Is it culture? Leadership? Prevention system?

We want the KPK to do more than studies. Modes of corruption have been widely studied. What the nation needs is just concrete action to uproot corruption from the country. The nation needs a role model, like Bung Hatta, former Police Chief Hoegeng Iman Santoso, who were truly charismatic figures and free from corruption.

Public narratives of pervasive corruption in the forestry sector and failure to take any concrete measure will only make the nation frustrated and erode the KPK’s credibility. So, it is time to start taking concrete action.