Vice President Jusuf Kalla expressed wonder that people still committed corruption when the government and law enforcers are moving fast to curb corruption practices. Hundreds of perpetrators have been sent to prison, including former ministers, parliamentarians, and regional leaders. “Only daring people commit corruption currently,” Mr. Kalla said in a statement that ridicules the corrupters during the opening of the Anti-Corruption Summit 2016 in Grha Sabha Pramana UGM on Tuesday (25/10).
The Vice-President said there was no country in the whole world able to imprison corrupters in the past ten years except Indonesia. At least 9 ministers, 17 governors and 46 MPs and dozens of regents and regional MPs have been imprisoned due to corruption. “There are three chairmen of political parties – Demokrat, PPP and PKS – Chief Justice and members of General Elections Commission, also Governor of Bank of Indonesia (being sent to prison),” said the Vice-President.
Despite the evidence of imprisonment of corruption, this does not give an impact to reduce corruption behaviour because the moral behaviour of that official is really corrupted while the system has not been running well. According to the VP, changing the system is necessary to do to prevent people from committing corruption. “Not only punishing, but also changing the system. Corruption has gone intra-sectors and religions, civilian and military,” he said.
Mr. Kalla further saw the fact that corruption disadvantages the nation only makes regional leaders fearing making a decision or policy, thus they ask for the legal umbrella or consultation with law enforcers. “The fear and doubt among leaders in policy making has made the economic growth to stall,” he said.
“The government is trying to encourage the emergence of economic harmony and fair law enforcement so that the economy may run well while anti-corruption is suppressed,” he said.
Chairman of Anti-corruption Commission, Agus Rahardjo, said the anti-corruption not only starts from the Anti-corruption Commission but also from higher learning institutions where they generate graduates who would become leaders. “Let’s raise the spirit to guard the nation and encourage the young generation and lecturers to actively counter corruption,” he said.
Agus mentioned the data from the Commission that there are 534 people already detained, including 17 governors due to corruption practices. He expected that campus leaders boost the establishment of anti-corruption centres on campus. Despite the already established 28 centres for anti-corruption, they are not supported by university and faculty leaders, “We receive reports of centre for studies that are being discriminated,” he said.
Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D., said she welcomed the anti-corruption movement starting from campuses. “Corruption prevention should be done massively and sustainably. Higher learning should adapt to accountability tradition, transparent and compliant with regulations,” she said.
Governor of the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, highlighted that anti-corruption should start from the downstream, which is education and family as they are the ones that can instill good morals through good role model. He saw that academic based anti-corruption consolidation would generate new generations from the campus that have integrity and are against corruption. “Hopefully, anti-corruption academics would emerge that can improve the image of the intellectuals as the frontliners of anti-corruption in the country,” he concluded.