Cracking Down on Corruption: The 'Key' to Positive Perceptions of the Prabowo Administration
Jakarta, VIVA – Executive Director of Indopol Survey, Ratno Sulistiyanto, observes that corruption eradication and law enforcement against corrupt officials have a significant influence on public perception of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.
According to him, law enforcement bodies such as the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung), the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), and the Police should pursue major corruption cases without discrimination.
Based on surveys conducted by Indopol and other polling institutions, Ratno noted that corruption remains the worst-rated area of performance for both regional and central government, as well as for the KPK itself.
“If the Prabowo Government can address this issue of corruption eradication, it will certainly earn positive marks,” Ratno said in a written statement on Tuesday, 18 February 2026.
He cited the Attorney General’s Office’s decision to publicly expose its handling of corruption cases, including the recovery of state losses amounting to tens of trillions of rupiah, as having generated positive perceptions of the Prabowo administration.
“It must be demonstrated through corruption cases that the Prabowo Government is firm against corruption,” he said.
He stated that the Attorney General’s Office’s move to expose its handling of corruption cases was appropriate, particularly when the cases and state loss recoveries involved large sums. He added that the KPK should follow the Attorney General’s lead by pursuing corruption cases involving substantial state losses.
“The problem is that the KPK has instead been pursuing regional heads in cases worth less than Rp1 billion. This ultimately becomes a political issue,” he explained.
Ratno suggested that the KPK should pursue cases involving high state losses, such as the case recently handled by the Attorney General’s Office involving nickel exports, in which alleged state losses amount to nearly Rp2.7 trillion.
“I think that is an achievement for the Attorney General’s Office. There needs to be a change in strategy from law enforcement agencies,” he said.
He emphasised that public perception of law enforcement under the Prabowo administration remains unfavourable, though the government’s current positive performance perception stems from public support for the free nutritious meals programme (MBG).
“It is true that the Prabowo Government is firm on legal matters, but the results of law enforcement remain the same as in the past five years. This would change entirely if Prabowo were to apprehend illegal loggers and major corruption perpetrators,” Ratno stressed.