Cases of Former BGN Head and Deputy Minister Silmy Karim Indicate Corruption Remains Deep-Rooted

The string of arrests of several high-ranking state officials in quick succession serves as a serious alarm for government administration. Anti-Corruption Study Centre (Pukat) researcher at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Zaenur Rohman, believes this phenomenon reflects corrupt practices that remain deeply rooted within Indonesia’s bureaucracy. This sharp criticism emerged following the Attorney General’s Office’s detention of former National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Head Dadan Hindayana over alleged corruption in the management of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. In the same case, two former Deputy Heads of BGN, Lodewyk Pusung and Sony Sonjaya, have also been imprisoned. Almost simultaneously, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections, Silmy Karim, as a suspect. Silmy was detained over an alleged extortion case related to immigration document processing. According to Zaenur, the series of legal cases ensnaring these officials cannot be viewed as isolated incidents. He suspects there are integrity issues that have been present since the recruitment process and cabinet formation. ‘I see government administration is still very far from clean. From the beginning, this cabinet was formed with many choices that paid no heed to track records. This cabinet indeed does not show exemplary integrity and ethical values. We are now reaping the consequences,’ Zaenur said. He added that these latest cases extend the long list of state officials entangled in legal troubles, following the case that previously shocked the public involving Deputy Manpower Minister Immanuel Ebenezer. Zaenur stressed that this condition aligns with the decline in Indonesia’s Corruption Perception Index (IPK), which fell from a score of 37 to 34. This figure is a clear indicator that corrupt practices among officials remain very widespread. He analysed that the root cause of these cases is the abuse of authority within the public service sector. In the immigration case, for instance, Zaenur highlighted the vulnerability of citizens who need services but do not understand legal procedures thoroughly. Furthermore, Zaenur suspects that similar practices within immigration services, such as KITAS and residence permit processing, have long been an open secret. He fears these practices are no longer merely individual acts but have developed into a systematic pattern within the bureaucracy. This condition poses a major challenge for the government to prove its commitment to eradicating corruption through improving the official recruitment system and strengthening internal oversight to restore public trust in the integrity of state institutions.