The Center for Anti-Corruption Studies of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Pukat FH UGM), has raised concerns about the direction of anti-corruption efforts under the new administration led by Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming.
Although political speeches have often included strong rhetoric about eradicating corruption, they believe these promises have yet to be followed by concrete policies that address corruption issues.
Dr. Totok Dwi Diantoro, Chair of Pukat FH UGM, stated that they have noted the diminishing independence of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which has made this anti-corruption body increasingly problematic.
“The KPK is no longer at the peak of its independence, and this has contributed to stagnation in anti-corruption efforts,” he said during a press conference on Friday (Nov. 8) at FH UGM.
Dr. Diantoro explained that Pukat FH UGM has observed that anti-corruption is included in the Prabowo-Gibran pair’s vision and mission as one of the eight “Asta Cita” and 17 priority programs.
However, Pukat FH UGM feels that this vision is mixed with issues of drug eradication, leading them to conclude that this administration still lacks focus on tackling the highly complex issue of corruption in Indonesia.
One of the key points highlighted is Prabowo’s statement regarding support for strengthening the KPK by providing adequate resources. The team acknowledges that increasing the KPK’s budget is essential, given the limited funding the agency has received so far.
However, they emphasize that the main issue with the KPK is its budget and independence.
“There is no clarification on how the KPK will be empowered to operate independently once again. This is a serious issue because the KPK remains under executive influence,” Dr. Diantoro said.
Zaenur Rohman, a researcher at Pukat FH UGM, presented data showing that Indonesia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking has stagnated over the past decade under the previous administration.
Based on data from Transparency International, Indonesia’s CPI score in 2014 was 34 out of 100, the same score recorded in 2023.
“Over the past 10 years, despite some fluctuations, there has been a significant decline from 38 to 34, reflecting no meaningful progress in fighting corruption,” Rohman remarked.
He noted that while the Prabowo-Gibran administration has made grand promises regarding anti-corruption efforts, the new government has yet to offer concrete solutions to major issues, such as the long-discussed Asset Seizure Bill (RUU Perampasan Aset), which has not received serious attention from the House of Representatives (DPR).
“Anti-corruption rhetoric is strong, but there’s no further explanation of how these promises will be realized. We are still waiting for real action, not just rhetorical speeches,” Rohman added.
Pukat FH UGM also reminded that in his speech, Prabowo warned coalition parties not to appoint ministerial candidates who seek personal gain from state budgets (APBN/APBD).
Although this is a positive step, the researchers believe that there has been no further explanation regarding consequences for parties whose members are proven to be involved in corruption.
“This is crucial because, without clear rules on sanctions for parties involved in corrupt practices, the message may amount to nothing more than a warning without any real impact,” Rohman said.
Considering the shortcomings in Prabowo-Gibran’s anti-corruption pledges, Pukat FH UGM offered several strategic recommendations to help achieve more effective anti-corruption efforts during this administration.
One of their recommendations is to build synergy between the KPK and other related institutions to prevent corruption. This includes incorporating anti-corruption education into school curricula to foster awareness from an early age.
The team also urged the immediate passage of the Asset Seizure Bill. This law is expected to strengthen anti-corruption efforts by simplifying the process of seizing assets derived from corruption, not only limited to suspects who have fled or died.
“We also emphasize the importance of reforming law enforcement agencies, including the Police, Prosecutor’s Office, and Supreme Court. This reform must involve structural improvements and granting these institutions greater authority to systematically combat corruption,” he added.
Without concrete actions from the government on its anti-corruption commitments, Rohman predicted that under Prabowo’s leadership over the next five years, the fight against corruption will not be much different from the past decade.
Therefore, Pukat FH UGM hopes the new government will quickly implement tangible steps to address Indonesia’s long-standing corruption issues.
“Without clear policies, eradicating corruption will remain a major challenge for this nation,” he concluded.
Author: Lintang
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographer: Donnie