KPK Monitoring Issue of East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas'ud's Official Vehicle Worth Rp8.5 Billion

Jakarta — The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has stated that it is monitoring the issue surrounding East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud’s official vehicle purchase valued at Rp8.5 billion, which has been generating considerable discussion among the public.

“It has indeed been quite prominent on social media, and we are also following the reporting on the matter,” said KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday (27 February).

As a result, Budi stated that the KPK has reminded Rudy Mas’ud that expenditure of provincial budgets must be based on thorough planning and should correspond with actual needs.

According to him, the KPK issued this reminder because the procurement of goods and services sector frequently presents opportunities for corrupt practices. “Procurement of goods and services is often an area where corruption can occur. Bid manipulation, price inflation, specification downgrades—all of these require proper scrutiny to ensure mechanisms are being implemented correctly,” he said.

Additionally, he stated that the KPK has cautioned against situations where actual needs are for item A, but the East Kalimantan Provincial Government then spends the budget on item B.

Previously, Mas’ud came under public scrutiny for claiming that the Rp8.5 billion official vehicle procurement was necessary to uphold the dignity of East Kalimantan. He also asserted that the purchase of the vehicle with those specifications complied with the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation (Permendagri).

In a separate statement, Golkar Party General Secretary Muhammad Sarmuji disclosed that the party had already advised Mas’ud, as a party member, regarding his statements about the official vehicle. Sarmuji stated that Golkar had urged the East Kalimantan Governor to be more attentive to public sentiment whilst pursuing efficiency measures.