Crime & punishment

Crime & punishment

From Koran Tempo

The article on Building an anticorruption zone in Koran Tempo
(June 25) sets out a good approach, but we should first take a
look at the circumstances of our country and society since
independence.

In my view, it's not only the perpetrators but also the system
that must be dealt with. The government has provided too much
leeway for embezzlers: One who steals a chicken worth Rp 100,000
and another who embezzles public money totaling Rp 700 billion
receive the same punishment (the latter might even end up walking
free).

The government should have the courage to introduce harsher
punishments for big-fish embezzlers and those guilt of
malfeasance as taxpayers' money is involved. The penalties should
not necessarily be the same as those in America as the per capita
income of a developing nation is 1/100th that of the U.S.

In Indonesia, the death sentence needs to be considered for
those who involved in malfeasance. If the question of human
rights arises, there is a solution at hand as we have a minister
in charge of human rights to take care of the matter.

SULASTORO YUSUF
Balikpapan, East Kalimantan