This Wedding Officiant is Anticorruption

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Budi Ali Hidayat holds a miniature of the Corruption Eradication Commission\'s Red and White House as a symbol of appreciation for the 88 gratification reports to the KPK in Cimahi City, West Java, Friday (18/12/2020).

The wave of bribery in the city of Cimahi, West Java, never ends. The mayors have taken turns getting arrested by the Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK) since 2001. In the midst of the gratification temptation that comes almost every day, Budi Ali Hidayat (44) maintains his integrity so as not to be dragged into the flow of corruption.

The miniature of the KPK\'s Red and White Building adorns the corner of Budi Ali Hidayat\'s office at the Central Cimahi Religious Affairs Office (KUA), Cimahi City, West Java, Friday (18/12/2020). This object is a symbol of the appreciation he has received for 88 gratification reports worth Rp 16 million (US$1,135) since 2019. From the start, he has upheld the principle that gratification is not his right so it should be reported to the state.

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Budi\'s consistency in reporting gratification was rewarded with an award from the KPK. He became the most reported gratification reporter during 2019-2020. The award was given at the KPK\'s Red and White House, Tuesday (12/8/2020). Apart from Budi, the KPK also gave similar awards to employees of PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia, Wahyu Listyantara, and the Head of the Tourism, Youth and Sports Office of Muko-muko Regency, Bengkulu, Apriansyah.

As a wedding officiant, the temptation of gratification becomes his daily routine. After completing his duties at a wedding, he is often offered with envelopes and gifts. The value varies, ranging from tens of thousands of rupiah to millions of rupiah.

There are gifts that he can immediately reject, some are not. To the envelopes containing money that he could not refuse, he added a note that says "gratification money". The envelope is photographed and reported to the KPK through the Online Gratification (GOL) application.

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According to Budi, reporting gratification through the GOL application is quite simple. The reporter fills in the data of the giver, place, time, and form of gratification, and attaches supporting documents such as photos. Furthermore, the KPK verifies the report. If it is determined to be state property, the gratification money must be deposited into the KPK account. "Usually within 1-2 weeks there will be an answer from the KPK regarding the verification of the gratification," he said.

If [people] get used to [accepting it], it will become a cancer that eats away at the country

For Budi, whether large or small, gratification should not be accepted because it is a form of corruption. In fact, the Rp 27,000 online taxi fee ordered by the bride and groom to pick up Budi at home was considered gratification so he returned it. "If [people] get used to [accepting it], it will become a cancer that eats away at the country," he said.

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KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Budi Ali Hidayat

"Chased" by envelopes

Budi has tried to maintain his integrity as best as possible since he was accepted as a candidate marriage registrar under the Religious Affairs Ministry in 2003. The experience of the past 17 years has made him recognize the modus for gratification, both from the bride and groom and the family of the bride and groom.

Gratification is not only given at the location of the marriage solemnization, but also at his office and home. When in fact, during the marriage counselling, he had reminded the bride and groom not to give money, packages, gifts or any other facilities.

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Budi explained that the marriage solemnization at the KUA was free. However, if it is carried out outside the KUA, it is subject to a fee of Rp 600,000 and becomes non-tax state revenue. Of the Rp 600,000, there are transportation and administrative costs. The values vary based on the KUA typology. For typology B such as the Central Cimahi KUA, the marriage officiant receives Rp 250,000.

"This is disbursed every month for the marriage officiants. So, the bride and groom or the family does not need to give envelopes anymore," he explained.

However, there are still some who give him envelopes or gifts. Budi admitted that he always tried to refuse. Many times, he had to struggle to refuse money from the bride and groom or her family. In anticipation of a scene, he usually rushed home after getting the couple married.

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However, the bride and groom or their families did not run out of idea. Some tucked envelopes into his pants pockets, motorbike dashboards, or even between chairs or stacks of files in his office. Therefore, every time he returns from a marriage solemnization, Budi always checks his shirt pocket, pants, dashboard and motorcycle seat. In addition, he diligently checks every corner of his office after his guests return.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Budi Ali Hidayat (44) shows the Online Gratification or GOL application on his smartphone in Cimahi City, West Java, Friday (18/12/2020).

Budi refused the gratification not because he was wealthy. He and his family still live in the house owned by his parents on Kolonel Masturi street, Cimahi. To go to work, he borrows his older sister\'s motorbike because two of his motorbikes were stolen in August last year.

"It\'s not that I can\'t afford to buy a motorbike, it\'s just that I still have my sister’s motorbike that I can use. For now, this is enough,” he said.

Budi\'s income comes from basic salary, performance allowances, transportation, and professions of around Rp 16 million per month. According to him, the income was sufficient to support his family.

Oasis

The KPK\'s appreciation for Budi is like an oasis for a series of corruption cases that have tarnished the face of Cimahi City. Since becoming an autonomous city in 2001, all mayors of Cimahi have been fallen into corruption. Most recently, the Mayor of Cimahi, Ajay Muhammad Priatna, was arrested by the KPK in connection with the licensing of a hospital expansion project, Friday (27/11). Previously, Atty Suharti, the mayor of the 2012-2017 period, was arrested by the KPK in connection with the bribery of the Cimahi’s Baru Atas Market development project at the end of 2016. This case involved Atty\'s husband, Itoch Tohija, the mayor for the 2002-2012 period.

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Budi is concerned about the corruption case that has caught the number one person in the city. He also regretted that a number of officials at the Religious Affairs Ministry had been implicated in corruption cases. According to him, maintaining integrity is the key for state officials and civil servants to escape corruption.

"Starting from small things such as reporting gratification. No need to be extravagant. This can be done in daily work activities,” he said.

Budi Ali Hidayat

Place, DOB: Bandung, December 10, 1976

Education: Bachelor’s Degree, Department of Islamic Law, State-owned Islamic Study Institute (UIN) Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung (graduated 2002)

Position: Senior Wedding Officiant/Head of KUA, Central Cimahi

This article was translated by: Stella Kusumawardhani