KPK Monitors Issue of East Kalimantan Governor's Official Vehicle Worth Rp8.5 Billion

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has stated that it is closely monitoring the public controversy surrounding the procurement of an official vehicle for East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud, valued at Rp8.5 billion, which has drawn significant public scrutiny. KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said the issue has been widely discussed on social media and has captured the agency’s attention.

“It has certainly garnered significant discussion on social media, and we are also following the news coverage,” said Budi in his statement in Jakarta on Friday (27 February).

The KPK has reminded authorities that the use of regional budgets, including expenditures on official vehicle procurement, must be based on careful planning and aligned with genuine needs. According to Budi, the goods and services procurement sector is one area particularly vulnerable to corruption practices, ranging from conditioning to potential irregularities.

“Goods and services procurement is also frequently an area that provides opportunities for corruption offences. Conditioning, irregularities, price mark-ups, specification downgrades—we must carefully examine all these mechanisms to ensure they are being properly implemented,” he said.

He emphasised that regional spending should be directed towards genuine needs rather than expenditures that do not align with priorities.

Previously, Rudy Mas’ud drew public criticism after stating that the official vehicle procurement was conducted to maintain the prestige of East Kalimantan. He also stated that the purchase of the gubernatorial official vehicle with those specifications complied with the provisions of the Ministry of Home Affairs Regulation.

On the other hand, Golkar Party Secretary General Muhammad Sarmuji stated that his party had cautioned Rudy, as a party cadre, to pay greater attention to public aspirations, particularly amid budget efficiency policies.