Graft at Ministry of Religious Affairs

Graft at Ministry of Religious Affairs

From Suara Karya

When speaking on a private TV station on July 23, 2002, Minister of State Minister of Administrative Reforms Feisal Tamin touched upon alleged corruption, collusion and nepotism within the Ministry of Religious Affairs. This allegation is public knowledge because such practices have been rampant in this ministry ever since the New Order era (since 1965).

As Mr Tamin said, the Finance and Development Audit Agency (BPKP) has, since 2001, reported to his ministry 434 cases of irregularities in the religious affairs ministry, inflicting losses of Rp 75 billion to the state.

In the religious affairs ministry, financial irregularities have been identified in the directorate general for Islamic mass guidance and haj affairs and the directorate general of Islamic institutions, which deals with supplies of books and goods.

It is an open secret that officials of the religious affairs ministry in the central government and in the regions usually ask those wishing to make the haj pilgrimage for some money.

It is a sad irony that some officials in the religious affairs ministry have tarnished the noble purpose of the haj pilgrimage by collecting unauthorized fees. There is also no transparency about the perpetual funds collected from haj pilgrimage costs.

We hope the Attorney General's Office will quickly respond to the findings by the BPKP about alleged corruption of Rp 75 billion at the religious affairs ministry.

BUDI SANTOSO, Depok, West Java