House of Representatives Reveals Jokowi's Role in KPK Law Revision
A number of Commission III members of the House of Representatives (DPR) have expressed anger over statements made by former president Joko Widodo. Jokowi declared that the revision of Law Number 19 of 2019 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was a DPR initiative.
Commission III member Nasyirul Falah Amru said Jokowi's statement was nothing more than an attempt to deflect responsibility. As president at the time, Jokowi played a role in the deliberations.
"There was a presidential letter dated 11 September 2019," Falah said in a written statement on Monday, 16 February 2026.
In that letter, he explained, Jokowi issued an order assigning the Minister of Law and Human Rights and the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform as government representatives to discuss the KPK Law revision with the DPR.
Furthermore, Falah said that on 17 September 2019, during the decision-making phase, the government — represented by the law minister — stated that the president agreed with the KPK Law revision.
"So it is quite absurd for Jokowi to then claim this revision was a DPR initiative. It is like throwing a hot potato," said the PDIP politician.
Jokowi's role in undermining the KPK was also documented in a Tempo report entitled "Dewan Pemberantasan Korupsi" (Corruption Eradication Board), published on 7 September 2019. One month before the KPK Law revision was passed, Jokowi criticised the aggressive sting operations (OTT) carried out by the KPK.
According to him, the intensive sting operations were ineffective because Indonesia's corruption perception index had only risen by one rank from the previous year. Jokowi argued that success in combating corruption should not be measured solely by the number of cases brought or the number of people imprisoned.
"It must also be measured by how many potential legal violations can be prevented and how much potential state losses can be saved," Jokowi said on 16 August 2019.
Jokowi's statement was interpreted as a signal of approval by the DPR to promptly proceed with revising the anti-corruption commission's law.
The KPK Law revision, carried out based on a 2019 agreement between the DPR and the government, ultimately weakened the KPK's independence. For instance, the KPK was placed under the executive branch. Additionally, KPK employees were converted to civil servant status.
The revision also granted the KPK authority to halt investigations and prosecutions. However, the KPK could not conduct sting operations, seizures, or searches without the approval of the Supervisory Board — an institution created as a result of the revision.
The culmination of the KPK Law revision occurred when the then KPK chairman Firli Bahuri dismissed 57 investigators and analysts of high integrity — including Novel Baswedan, Harun Al Rasyid, and Yudi Purnomo Harahap — through a national insight test.
Jokowi has stated his agreement with the proposal to restore the KPK Law to its pre-2019 revision version. He considered former KPK chairman Abraham Samad's proposal to be a good one.
Jokowi claimed that despite being president at the time, he did not interfere.
"That revision was a DPR initiative back then, it was at the DPR's initiative," Jokowi said after watching a football match between Persis Solo and Madura United at Manahan Stadium, Solo, on Friday, 13 February 2026.
Commission III member Nasyirul Falah Amru said Jokowi's statement was nothing more than an attempt to deflect responsibility. As president at the time, Jokowi played a role in the deliberations.
"There was a presidential letter dated 11 September 2019," Falah said in a written statement on Monday, 16 February 2026.
In that letter, he explained, Jokowi issued an order assigning the Minister of Law and Human Rights and the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform as government representatives to discuss the KPK Law revision with the DPR.
Furthermore, Falah said that on 17 September 2019, during the decision-making phase, the government — represented by the law minister — stated that the president agreed with the KPK Law revision.
"So it is quite absurd for Jokowi to then claim this revision was a DPR initiative. It is like throwing a hot potato," said the PDIP politician.
Jokowi's role in undermining the KPK was also documented in a Tempo report entitled "Dewan Pemberantasan Korupsi" (Corruption Eradication Board), published on 7 September 2019. One month before the KPK Law revision was passed, Jokowi criticised the aggressive sting operations (OTT) carried out by the KPK.
According to him, the intensive sting operations were ineffective because Indonesia's corruption perception index had only risen by one rank from the previous year. Jokowi argued that success in combating corruption should not be measured solely by the number of cases brought or the number of people imprisoned.
"It must also be measured by how many potential legal violations can be prevented and how much potential state losses can be saved," Jokowi said on 16 August 2019.
Jokowi's statement was interpreted as a signal of approval by the DPR to promptly proceed with revising the anti-corruption commission's law.
The KPK Law revision, carried out based on a 2019 agreement between the DPR and the government, ultimately weakened the KPK's independence. For instance, the KPK was placed under the executive branch. Additionally, KPK employees were converted to civil servant status.
The revision also granted the KPK authority to halt investigations and prosecutions. However, the KPK could not conduct sting operations, seizures, or searches without the approval of the Supervisory Board — an institution created as a result of the revision.
The culmination of the KPK Law revision occurred when the then KPK chairman Firli Bahuri dismissed 57 investigators and analysts of high integrity — including Novel Baswedan, Harun Al Rasyid, and Yudi Purnomo Harahap — through a national insight test.
Jokowi has stated his agreement with the proposal to restore the KPK Law to its pre-2019 revision version. He considered former KPK chairman Abraham Samad's proposal to be a good one.
Jokowi claimed that despite being president at the time, he did not interfere.
"That revision was a DPR initiative back then, it was at the DPR's initiative," Jokowi said after watching a football match between Persis Solo and Madura United at Manahan Stadium, Solo, on Friday, 13 February 2026.