'Corruptors should be sentenced to death'

'Corruptors should be sentenced to death'

Judges at the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced suspended Aceh
Governor Abdullah Puteh to 10 years in jail last week, while
the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested General
Elections Commission member Mulyana W. Kusuma for alleged
attempted bribery. Are law enforcers now becoming serious about
fighting the rampant corruption that has been blamed for pushing
the country's economy to the brink of disaster? The Jakarta Post
interviewed some Jakarta residents on the issue.

Melvi, 27, is a secretary who works for a media company and
lives with her family in Depok, West Java.

Regardless of who gets arrested or convicted for corruption, I
have long believed that no one can really be trusted.

Even those who are very critical of the government's campaign against
rampant corruption, including activists, are vulnerable to
temptation and might themselves be involved in graft and
corruption.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's fight against corruption
has actually produced improvements, but I'm afraid his
subordinates are not free of corruption. He cannot trust anybody.

We don't know if State Audit Agency (BPK) or Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK) members themselves are involved in
corruption.

It's high time to impose draconian punishments on corrupters
in the same way that the Chinese authorities do. No matter how
small an amount of money they stole, corruptors should be
sentenced to death.

Marco, 22, is a student in the History Department at the
University of Indonesia's School of Humanities. He lives with his
parents in Tebet, South Jakarta.

The way I look at it is that the strategy of fighting
corruption by arresting top bureaucrats such as governors,
mayors, and prominent public figures is the right way to go.

Susilo's government has shown great improvements as regards
fighting against corruption compared to previous governments,
which only bought time for big corruptors to escape justice after
their crimes had been exposed.

The KPK has done a good job by arresting several prominent
officials; it is a good thing. However, I don't want to give
any credit or compliments to anyone yet, as there is no proof
that just verdicts will be handed down in these graft cases once
they come to court.

The Jakarta Post