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.