Minister Dody Continues Clean-Up at PU: Guilty Officials Go to Prison!

Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo has emphasised that his primary focus is not merely infrastructure development, but rather internal reforms within the ministry to address entrenched corrupt practices and permissive cultures. He stressed that reform efforts must begin with a positive outlook towards the many integrity-minded civil servants still in the organisation.

“Indeed, my task is just one, not many—it’s not about building bridges or roads. My task is cleaning up, just one. And to think that there are still many good people in PU, many indeed, I’m convinced,” Dody stated at his office on Thursday (2/4/2026).

These efforts, he continued, are supported by internal work already underway, including reports of suspected violations to law enforcement authorities.

“If there were no good people in PU, it wouldn’t be possible for reports to be made to the Prosecutor’s Office by the Secretary General or the Inspector General, right? It wouldn’t be possible,” he said.

He then underlined that deviant practices do not always manifest on a large scale but can also arise from seemingly trivial habits that become repeated.

“Lunch is actually already covered in our salary that goes into our bank accounts. But some still expect to be served by the state at work. That’s actually corruption,” he asserted firmly.

In his directives, Dody also emphasised the importance of fair law enforcement without discrimination, particularly towards high-ranking officials in the ministry.

“If an Echelon I official is indeed wrong, then that Echelon I goes to prison. Not then demoted to Echelon II or Echelon III,” he said.

He assessed that the old practice of shifting blame to lower levels only sets a bad example for the younger generation of civil servants.

“I believe the young generation in PU today will compete to steal APBN funds to get promotions as quickly as possible. That must not be allowed,” he stated.

Dody also touched on the ongoing processes within the ministry and the involvement of law enforcement, including communication with the prosecutor’s office.

“If it’s already with the law enforcement authorities, then let them do what they will—we don’t know. In my opinion, it’s better to ask the authorities directly,” he said.