A Country of Corrupt Officials

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

Musi Banyuasin Regent Dodi Reza Alex Nurdin (white shirt) gives a statement regarding the results of a discussion on illegal oil mining in South Sumatra at the Musi Banyuasin Regent's Office, Wednesday (13/10/2021). On Friday (15/10/2021) Dodi was arrested by the KPK on corruption charges.

Embezzlement of public funds continues to happen in this country. Most recently, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Musi Banyuasin regent Dodi Reza Alex Nurdin.

Alex Nurdin was named a suspect by the Attorney General’s Office in mid-September 2021. He is a former governor of South Sumatra and also the father of Dodi Reza. Alex was arrested and detained on charges of corruption in the purchase of natural gas by the South Sumatra Regional Mining and Energy Company for the 2010-2019 period, costing the state a total loss of Rp 433 billion. (Kompas, 17 October 2021).

Also read:

> Corrupted Disaster Fund

> The Undeterred Regional Heads

Families are not ashamed over corrupt behavior, be it husband and wife or father and son. In Probolinggo regency, East Java, Puput Tantriana Sari, who was regent at the time, and her husband, Hasan Aminuddin, a former regent, were both arrested by the KPK for demanding payment from the district and subdistrict heads. The posts were being sold, which were reminiscent of the days of Dutch colonialism.

This country has become a haven for such practices. Posts of leaders are traded and the embezzlement of public funds is no longer a shameful act. Social aid, which was initially allocated for the poor, was embezzled. Officials now pocket extra money to issue decrees. Embezzled funds are splurged on hedonistic lifestyles. Political parties, who are supposed to step up and take responsibility, instead sit and do nothing. These parties also debilitate the antigraft agency, where even corruption eradication institutions are placed under the control of oligarchs.

KOMPAS/NORBERTUS ARYA DWIANGGA MARTIAR

Screenshot of the press conference of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Saturday (16/10/2021). Deputy Chairperson of the KPK Alexander Marwata said that the KPK had arrested 6 people in the Musi Banyuasin Regency area and 2 people in the Jakarta area, on Friday (10/15/2021).

What Prabowo Subianto said in his 2019 presidential campaign was correct: “Corruption in Indonesia has reached the fourth stage.” Prabowo failed to become president and was instead appointed Defense Minister. The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) continued to decline and Indonesia ranked 102nd out of 180 countries this year, now on par with Gambia.

Referencing Sindhunata’s article in Kompas on 31 May 2011, the Republic of the Boars. Boars are often described as greedy animals. Greedy to loot the people’s money. Sindhu wrote, Lengji lengbeh. Celeng siji, celeng kabeh. That is, when one becomes a wild boar, all become wild boars. Nowadays, it can be said, when becomes corrupt, all become corrupt. An atmosphere of corruption is formed. If they have looted, then so will I. This country has become a country of corruption perpetrators.

Also read:

> Don't Be Tired of Fighting Corruption

> Corruption Threatens Civil Rights

Corruption threatens the very joints of humanism. Social aid for the poor is embezzled, which only leads to their increased suffering. Corruption courts trample on any sense of justice, thereby eradicating the authority of the law, which is essential to building people’s humanism. It is impossible to build a civilization if our society is constantly undermined by corruption. If this is so, the near future of our society will surely collapse.

It takes coercive steps to stop corruption. In India, Kisan Baburao Hazare (74) began a hunger strike, demanding there be strict laws against corruption. Revising the KPK Law to weaken antigraft efforts and perpetuate the theft of public funds is not the way to go. KPK commissioners who have been proven to have no moral legitimacy should step aside so as not to burden the agency.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.