Fadia Arafiq tells the KPK she did not know procurement rules because she is a former dangdut singer

Jakarta — The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) disclosed that Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq (FAR), during questioning by the anti-graft body, admitted not knowing the rules governing the procurement of goods and services due to her background as a former dangdut singer. ‘During the intensive examination, FAR explained that her background is as a musician, not a bureaucrat,’ said Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Enforcement and Execution at the KPK, at the Merah Putih Building, KPK, Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Asep added that the singer of the song ‘Cik Cik Bum Bum’ contradicted the principle of presumptio iuris de iure or the theory of legal fiction.

‘FAR has served as Regent or state administrator for two terms, and briefly as Deputy Regent from 2011-2016, so FAR should understand the practice of good governance in local government,’ he said.

Earlier, on 3 March 2026, the KPK announced a Ramadan-time sting operation, which was the seventh OTT of the year. The KPK said it arrested Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq along with aides and confidants in the Semarang area, Central Java. The KPK later announced the arrest of 11 other individuals from Pekalongan, Central Java.

On 4 March 2026, the KPK named Fadia Arafiq as the sole suspect in a case of alleged corruption related to the procurement of outsourcing services, or outsourcing personnel, and other procurements within the Pekalongan Regency Government for the 2023-2026 fiscal year.