MAKI Sends Satirical Award to KPK Over Changing Yaqut's Status to House Arrest
Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman sent satirical banners in the form of award certificates to the KPK building regarding the change in status to house arrest for former Minister of Religious Affairs (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. The banners read about the record for changing house arrest for special people.
“Today I sent five banner award certificates to the KPK. Congratulations on breaking the record, namely the change of house detention from MORI, Museum of Real Indonesian People. Special people,” said Boyamin Saiman to reporters on Tuesday (24/3/2026).
Boyamin said the award certificates are hoped to serve as a reminder for the KPK. He brought up the KPK’s step to switch Yaqut’s status to house arrest, which drew criticism from the public.
“And that is also as a reminder to the KPK not to toy with the public’s feelings like that. The public is too smart, not just MAKI. Just check, is there any social media that supports the KPK’s actions? None. There are no comments in the news either,” he said.
He stated that this switch is a record broken by the KPK since 2003. He said switches are usually done in the form of release due to illness.
“Well, if then someone was detained and healthy and then switched to house detention, this causes discrimination and damages the system. Because everyone will demand the same thing, and also from the most important side, Gus Alex who was also detained in the same case, was not switched either,” he said.
“Thus, with lies and sneaking around like that, it makes the people even more annoyed and angry. And I implement that anger in the form of giving certificates in banner form that they have broken the record like that,” he added.
Furthermore, Boyamin decided to still send the award banners even though Yaqut has returned to detention in the detention centre today. It is known that Yaqut returned to undergoing detention in the KPK detention centre as of today after being on house arrest for several days ago.
“Even though YCQ has returned to the KPK detention centre, the banner is still needed because the house arrest switch event for YCQ has occurred, so it is meant as a reminder for the KPK not to repeat unnecessary blunders that damage corruption eradication in the future,” he said.
It is known that Yaqut’s detention from detention centre to house arrest was carried out since Thursday (19/3) ago. KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said that house arrest for Yaqut was carried out after the KPK received a request from Yaqut’s family.
The KPK then granted that request, without providing further explanation regarding the reasons Yaqut’s family submitted the request.
“So indeed because there is a request from the family side, then we process it,” explained Budi on Sunday (22/3).