The Nature of Power

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Wearing an orange vest, South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah walked to the press conference room after being questioned at the Corruption Eradication Commission Building, Jakarta, Sunday (28/2/2021) in the morning.

The arrest of South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah on Saturday (27/2/2021) came as a shock. The governor, known for his claimed anticorruption stance, was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Anticorruption activists were sad, shocked and disappointed. Nurdin was arrested during an operation at his official residence in Makassar, South Sulawesi, for allegedly accepting bribes from infrastructure project contractors in the province. The head of the KPK named Nurdin a suspect and detained him, with billions of rupiah in cash seized as evidence.

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The reaction of the anticorruption activists is understandable. Nurdin had escaped from a corruption virus while leading Bantaeng regency in South Sulawesi from 2008 to 2018. Bantaeng is said to be thriving. Nurdin was labeled a figure of change and received the Bung Hatta Anti-Corruption Award in 2017, a prestigious award in the country that not many figures have received.

Nurdin had been referred to as “the sun from the east” and seen as a possible future leader on the national stage.

Nurdin faced tough competitors, such as Golkar politician Nurdin Halid, then-deputy governor of South Sulawesi Agus Arifin Numang, and Ichsan Yasin Limpo, a relative of then-governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

Escaping the virus of corruption during his time as the regent of Bantaeng, Nurdin took part in the regional election (Pilkada) of South Sulawesi in 2018, running for governor, with Andi Sudirman Sulaiman as his partner. Nurdin faced tough competitors, such as Golkar politician Nurdin Halid, then-deputy governor of South Sulawesi Agus Arifin Numang, and Ichsan Yasin Limpo, a relative of then-governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo. Many political actors took part.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission Firli Bahuri (sitting left) with other officers showing evidence and corruption suspects at a press conference at the KPK Building, Jakarta, Jakarta, Sunday (28/2/2021) in the morning. One of the suspects is the Governor of South Sulawesi Nurdin Abdullah.

At the beginning of his administration, Nurdin\'s relationship with Deputy Governor Sudirman, the younger brother of then-agriculture minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, was very dynamic. The replacement of many senior officials in the South Sulawesi administration was opposed by the province’s Regional People\'s Representative Council (DPRD), which used its inquiry right to impeach Nurdin.

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The KPK operation on Saturday morning has damaged Nurdin\'s reputation. When he arrived at the KPK office, he said that he did not know about the case. "Edy made transactions without my knowledge. I don\'t know at all, by Allah, by Allah," said Nurdin.

Nurdin was named a suspect along with the secretary of the South Sulawesi Public Works and Spatial Planning Office, Edy Rahmat, and the director of PT Agung Perdana Bulukumba, Agung Sucipto.

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Nurdin\'s claim that he was not aware of the alleged bribery has to be proven. The KPK must thoroughly reveal whoever was involved, including the background of the case. We hope the KPK will not carry out "guided" corruption eradication. That means that, whoever is involved, must take responsibility. There should be no impression that anyone is being protected.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Governor of South Sulawesi Nurdin Abdullah.

We hope Nurdin will disclose everything he knows, including the background of the case. People who are known to be clean can be trapped in a corrupt system. The corruption virus exists, and it is real. However, we must all understand that people can change. A person\'s real character will appear when there is great power in his hands.

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).