Get rid of rotten people

Get rid of rotten people

From Gatra

I fully support President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's drive to
rid the Presidential Palace of those involved in corruption. In
this regard, I hope the President is not halfhearted in
eradicating corruption. This corruption eradication drive,
unfortunately, has yet to touch a number of institutions
allegedly riddled with corruption.

I hope the President is indiscriminate in his efforts
to ensure his government is clean. The President's perception of
corruption eradication is already quite comprehensive, but his
assistants have yet to share this perception. In this context,
the President must not consider the political risks he may run in
taking action against corruption.

Those institutions where corruption is allegedly rife -- the
Directorate General of Taxation, the Directorate General of
Customs and Excise and the National Police -- are still
untouchable in this anti-corruption drive. The President does not
need to make any political calculations in overhauling these
institutions because the political risks such a move would entail
are low. The President can easily mobilize the masses to support
his anti-corruption drive. It is time to mobilize good people and
rid the country of bad and rotten people.

People must not expect too much from the anti-corruption drive
in the short term. But the government must be consistent in its
long-term fight against corruption and should not do anything
that would be counterproductive for this drive.

Corruption can be eradicated not only by taking action against
those involved in corruption, but also by preventing corruption
itself from happening and improving the system. Broad
bureaucratic reform is needed at this juncture. It is not only
the personnel who must be replaced, but also the system.

The eradication of corruption can be successful only if it is
coupled with joint action by the entire nation, namely the
government, led by the President, supported by all Indonesians.

SANTI PUJI RAHAYU

Jakarta