Govt's new anticorruption setup criticized<\/p>\n
Fitri Wulandari
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The government's plan to establish a new anticorruption
\ncommission could be interpreted as an attempt to obstruct the
\ndrive to eradicate corruption, Nono Anwar Makarim, director of
\nthe nonprofit foundation Aksara said on the weekend.<\/p>\n
Due to failures in the establishment of similar commissions,
\n\"we ought to suspect the plan to set up a new one as a way of
\ndiminishing anticorruption efforts,\" Nono said in a media
\nbriefing at Borobudur Hotel in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Nono, who is also a member of the Partnership for Governance
\nReform, said that various anticorruption commissions had been
\nestablished by previous governments, including those under former
\nstrongman Soeharto, but not a single one of them worked properly.<\/p>\n
The inability of such commissions was due mainly to the fact
\nthat they focused on only one sector and, more importantly, they
\nwere not serious in carrying out their task, Nono said.<\/p>\n
The new anticorruption commission to be established is the
\ncommission to eradicate crimes involving corruption, popularly
\nreferred to as KPTPK.<\/p>\n
The government has proposed a draft bill on its establishment
\nfor deliberation by the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said
\non the weekend that, unlike other anticorruption bodies such as
\nthe Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN), KPTPK would
\nhave the authority to investigate and take to court all alleged
\ncorruption cases.<\/p>\n
Yusril insisted that the establishment of KPTPK was badly
\nneeded, as rampant corruption constituted a special crime that
\nrequired a special body to deal with it.<\/p>\n
\"Its arrangement will be designed in such as way as not to
\noverlap with other anticorruption commissions,\" Yusril said, as
\nquoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
If KPKPN discovered allegations of corruption, for example, it
\ncould hand over the cases to KPTPK for further investigation,
\nYusril said, adding that the House would oversee recruitment of
\nKPTPK members.<\/p>\n
According to Nono, combating deep-rooted corruption in the
\ncountry required more than the establishment of a commission or
\nthe punishing of corruptors.<\/p>\n
It needed the implementation of a kind of multisectoral and
\nmultidimensional strategy, Nono said.<\/p>\n
He added that the establishment of an anticorruption body
\nwould be effective only if it were accompanied by the setting up
\nof a strong legal base, reform of the related bureaucracies, and
\naggressive campaigning to raise public awareness to support the
\neffort.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Frans Hendra Winarta, a member of the National Law
\nCommission, said that the imposition of social punishment was
\nmore effective in dealing with corruptors than legal punishment.<\/p>\n
\"In other countries, corruptors are ostracized by their
\ncommunity, and they are no longer welcomed at their golf club or
\nother community activity groups.<\/p>\n
\"It would really embarrass them, thereby dissuading them from
\ndoing it again,\" Frans said.<\/p>\n
However, he added, this might be difficult in Indonesia
\nbecause the public was more passive.<\/p>\n
He cited as an example the recent national survey on
\ncorruption conducted by the Partnership for Governance Reform, in
\nwhich, while condemning corruption, the majority of respondents
\nsaid they were also involved in corrupt practices themselves,
\nsuch as bribing government officials to speed up their decision-
\nmaking.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing now is to change the value system in
\nour society. We have to educate the public not only to condemn
\nbut also to be more aware of the dangers of corruption,\" Frans
\nadded.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govts-new-anticorruption-setup-criticized-1447893297",
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