More people support the call to arrest big corruptors

More people support the call to arrest big corruptors

Bambang Nurbianto and I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Religious leaders and legislators on Friday voiced their
support for an influential Muslim leader's call for the
government to arrest big corruptors and confiscate their wealth.
One respected legislator even called the demand the true voice of
the Indonesian people.

Hasyim Muzadi, the chairman of the country's largest Muslim
organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), made the call for the arrest
of corruptors at a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri
on Thursday night.

Strong support for the demand came from the Ahmad Syafii
Maarif, chairman of the country's second largest Muslim
organization, Muhammadiyah.

"I support Pak Muzadi's statement. I have held the opinion for
a long time that the government should force the heads of major
conglomerates to pay back the money they robbed from the state,"
Syafii told The Jakarta Post.

Hasyim conveyed his views to Megawati at the latter's
residence on Jl. Teuku Umar. Just a few hours before the meeting,
Hasyim hosted a meeting of religious leaders to respond to the
continuing protests against utility price hikes.

Syafii, however, denied speculation that the statement made by
Hasyim after meeting with Megawati represented the views of other
religious leaders.

"No, there is no such common view, but I agreed with Pak
(Hasyim) Muzadi that we should force the big business tycoons to
return the people's money," he said.

Syafii stressed that the big debtors were among those
responsible for the country's economic collapse.

Therefore, he said that it was a mistake for the government to
burden the people by increasing utility charges to cover this
unpaid debt. Instead of burdening the people, the government
should pursue these debtors to pay their debts.

However, it would require a strong political will on the part
of the government and legislators at the House to punish
uncooperative debtors and to confiscate their assets.

Separately, legislator J.E. Sahetapy from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), expressed
pessimism that the government and the House would have the
courage to force big debtors to pay all their debts.

He contended that most public officials still possessed the
same corrupt mentality of the previous administrations.

"I agree wholeheartedly with Pak Muzadi's statement. In fact,
I have held the same opinion for a long time. I believe that
strong and consistent law enforcement is the first step our
country must take in order to achieve progress," he asserted.

"But now, the people have already been deeply disappointed. I
think that the President has been a bit insensitive in this
matter," Sahetapy, who claimed that his views were often in
conflict with those of his own party, led by Megawati.

Separately, Aisyah Amini, a legislator from the United
Development Party (PPP), said that the government should not take
the easy way out by increasing telephone and electricity charges
as well as fuel prices in an effort to cover the budget deficit.

"Pak Muzadi's statement represents the voice of the people,"
she said.

Collecting money from the debtors, she added, is an
alternative that should be taken by the government.

"I interpret Pak Muzadi's statement as a call to the
government to work harder, instead of dumping all the burden on
the shoulders of the people," Amini said.