Deputy Interior Minister: No More Views That Extortion and Bribes Are Normal!

Jakarta – Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri), Akhmad Wiyagus, has issued a strong warning regarding the persistent bad habit in society that tolerates corrupt practices such as illegal levies (pungli). He stressed that there should no longer be any notion that practices like pungli or giving ‘facilitation money’ (uang pelicin) are commonplace, let alone considered cultural. This was stated by Akhmad Wiyagus at the launch of the Anti-Corruption Education (PAK) Guidebook and Teaching Materials at the Ministry of Home Affairs office in Central Jakarta on Monday, 11 May 2026. “There should no longer be any notion that pungli practices are something ordinary, or that we proudly say this has become our culture. Or conversely, considering facilitation money as something normal,” said Wiyagus in his speech. Wiyagus views corruption fundamentally as a disease of character. Therefore, its treatment cannot rely solely on prison bars or law enforcement alone. According to him, preemptive and preventive levels are needed to eradicate corruption. One of the main strategies promoted by the government is through anti-corruption education from an early age, particularly at the Early Childhood Education (PAUD) and Primary School (SD) levels. It is at this crucial age that the foundation of character, values of honesty, responsibility, and discipline must be formed. “Anti-corruption education is our strategy to create communal immunity against behaviours that lead to corrupt actions. Our hope is that these integrity values truly become ingrained from an early age as principles of life,” he explained. On that occasion, Wiyagus also expressed appreciation to several local governments (Pemda) that successfully achieved the highest scores in the 2024 National Education Integrity Index. For the provincial government category, DKI Jakarta achieved the highest score of 71.78. Meanwhile, at the regency level, Tabanan Regency scored 73.11, and Sabang City became the best in the city category with a score of 72.58. Nevertheless, he reminded that this achievement should not make local governments complacent. Wiyagus urged all local governments to continue making concrete and measurable improvements to genuinely enhance integrity in the education sector.