KPK Says Kuansing Regent's Actions Tarnish Pacu Jalur's Noble Values

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing) Regent Suhardiman Amby a suspect in a bribery case related to the sale of the regional secretary position. The KPK stated that the repeated corruption in the region has tarnished the noble values of Pacu Jalur, a tradition known throughout Indonesia and abroad. KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said Kuansing is widely recognised as the birthplace of Pacu Jalur, a traditional competition that reflects the spirit of mutual cooperation and collective work within the community. “Because of this, when corruption occurs again in Kuansing, it not only stains the integrity of state officials but also the public’s trust in the noble values that have been the pride of the Kuansing region,” Budi said during a press conference at the KPK building in South Jakarta on Wednesday (1/7/2026). Budi stated that the KPK’s action in Kuansing serves as a warning signal from the corruption prevention instrument within the Monitoring, Controlling, Surveillance for Prevention (MCSP) programme. He noted that the MCSP score for Kuansing Regency in 2025 was still in the red zone with a score of 63.84 points. “Especially in the area of procurement of goods and services, which only obtained a score below 50, at 45. On the other hand, the Integrity Assessment Survey (SPI) for Kuansing Regency has also not shown significant improvement, with the SPI score only increasing slightly from 63.12 in 2024 to 63.58 in 2025,” Budi explained. Budi said this serves as a reminder that strengthening integrity and corruption prevention systems must be carried out consistently to prevent corrupt practices from recurring. He added that the alleged corruption in Kuansing Regency is also related to strategic projects in the area that affect the livelihoods of many people. “It is known from the geographical map that 50 percent of the Kuansing area is plantation land, 65 to 70 percent of which are oil palm plantations,” he continued. “With the prospect of producing 2.2 tonnes of palm oil per month, or around IDR 2.7 billion. However, from an infrastructure perspective, around 38 to 45 percent of roads in the Kuansing area are still in poor condition. This is due to the tonnage of palm oil and coal logistics trucks,” he added. The bribery case began in April 2025. Acting KPK Director of Investigations Achmad Taufik Husein said there were two candidates for Kuansing Regional Secretary: Fahdiansyah, the Assistant I of the Kuansing Regency Government, and Zulkarnain, the Head of the Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Department. “SA (Suhardiman Amby), as the Regent of Kuansing for the 2025-2030 period, then ‘requested’ a Toyota Fortuner SUV as a condition from the parties or candidates participating in the selection process for the Kuansing Regional Secretary position,” Achmad Taufik said at a press conference at the KPK building. During the process, only Zulkarnain agreed to the request. Zulkarnain was subsequently selected as the Kuansing Regional Secretary. The KPK stated that Zulkarnain’s profile did not meet the requirements to apply for credit for the Toyota Land Cruiser. Consequently, Zulkarnain used the identity of Ardiles, the President Director of PT Mitra Ideal Consultant, for the credit process. “ZKN then paid a bribe for the Kuansing Regional Secretary position with a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S worth IDR 2.05 billion,” he said. The KPK subsequently named three individuals as suspects: Suhardiman Amby as the Regent of Kuansing, Zulkarnain as the Regional Secretary of Kuansing, and Ardiles as the President Director of PT MIC.