Civil servants proven gambling online will be punished under regulations, says Gus Ipul
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, has said that employees of the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) proven to be involved in online gambling will face sanctions in accordance with the severity of the offence and the disciplinary regulations for civil servants (ASN).
Sanctions for employees proven involved in online gambling will be applied in stages, ranging from light, moderate to heavy disciplinary punishments, according to the results of examination and clarification.
“I want to give serious attention to the emergence of indications of employee involvement in online gambling. I ask all staff to stay away from this practice, never try it, let alone become trapped in it,” said Gus Ipul while giving directives at a staff development assembly at the Kemensos office in Jakarta on Monday.
He assessed that online gambling is not merely a personal matter, but can affect family life, employee performance, and even lead to debt problems.
Previously, Kemensos had been investigating and tracing 1,900 employees suspected of online gambling activity, based on data received from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK).
“The Inspectorate General is currently working, and in a situation like today’s it is difficult to hide any traces connected to online gambling. We even know the rupiah amounts used for online gambling by Ministry of Social Affairs employees,” he said.
Met after the assembly, Gus Ipul said that some of the 1,900 employees under suspicion had already undergone the clarification process. More than 70 per cent of them admitted to having been involved in online gambling in various categories.
“Some are genuinely addicted, it has become a habit. Some perhaps did it out of curiosity. There are also those whose phones were used by family members, exploited by their relatives. So all of this is genuinely being traced and verified,” said Gus Ipul, accompanied by Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono.
According to him, the clarification process is targeted for completion by September 2026. Once the process is complete, employees proven to have committed offences will face sanctions based on the severity of their fault and applicable disciplinary regulations.
For minor disciplinary offences, sanctions may take the form of a verbal warning, a written warning, or a written statement of dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, moderate disciplinary offences may carry sanctions including a one-year delay in periodic salary increments, a one-year postponement of promotion, or a one-rank demotion for one year.
As for serious disciplinary offences, sanctions may include demotion to a lower post, removal from position, up to dismissal as a civil servant in accordance with prevailing regulations.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is truly regrettable. They have been given the opportunity by the state, the opportunity to serve as civil servants, yet became involved in an improper activity. Ministry of Social Affairs civil servants should set an example with clean minds, clean actions, and responsibility in carrying out their mandate,” he asserted.
Gus Ipul explained that of the 1,900 employees flagged based on the PPATK report, 124 are in the Secretariat General, 191 in the Directorate General of Social Empowerment, 179 in the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation, and three in the Inspectorate General. The remainder are in the Directorate General of Social Protection and Security.
For employees in the Directorate General of Social Protection and Security, he said, the clarification process is still ongoing because most of the staff are based in the regions and are generally government employees on work agreements (PPPK) as well as social facilitators.
To that end, Gus Ipul and Deputy Minister Agus Jabo called on all Kemensos employees to maintain integrity and stay away from online gambling. He also asked the heads of work units to strengthen supervision and guidance over their respective staff.
“Regarding the integrity of civil servants, we work at the Ministry of Social Affairs, we manage the state’s mandate on behalf of those in need. Therefore, integrity must not remain a mere slogan; integrity must be visible in the way we work, exercise our authority, manage budgets, and in our daily lives,” he concluded.