NGOs commit to anticorruption drive

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Malang, East Java

Chairman of the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) Teten Masduki proposed that both Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah issue election guides suggesting followers not to vote for legislative candidates and political parties with unclean track records.

Teten said during the launch of a national anticorruption movement by the country's two largest Muslim organizations that he and other corruption watchdogs were ready to supply the religious groups with the records of legislative candidates.

"It's very important for both the NU and Muhammadiyah to issue a haram (forbidden under Islamic law) edict banning their followers from voting for corrupt candidates and parties during the election. Otherwise, the legislative bodies will be filled with corruptors," Teten said, amid the cheers of thousands of attendees.

He said the ICW and other non-governmental organizations supporting a corruption-free election would screen legislative candidates for possible past involvement in corruption, collusion and nepotism practices.

"The screening will reveal which politicians are dirty and which ones are clean, and therefore deserves support," he said.

Along with Teten, noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid was among those invited to attend the launch of the national anticorruption movement, as well as leaders of other religious groups, including Rev. Yewangoe of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) and Bishop Hadi Wikarta of the Malang diocese.

No government officials turned up for the event, although they had also received invitations. The government has been constantly criticized for its lack of political will in combating corruption.

NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi dismissed Teten's demand, saying the movement was not targeting individual people or organizations.

"Our movement does not deal with individuals, as we aim at freeing Indonesia as a whole from corruption. We will encourage law enforcers to take strict and indiscriminate measures against those involved in corruption," he said.

To support the movement, clerical members of NU and Muhammadiyah will be asked to highlight the danger of corruption in their sermons.

"We will also ask for support from churches, so that our campaign can reach more people and will belong to the entire nation," Hasyim said.

Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Maarif called on the government and law enforcers to heed the anticorruption campaign.

"Otherwise, the country will move closer to the brink of collapse," he said.

He agreed to suggestions that state officials and employees be given salary increases, but said the measure would not curb corruption if tough law enforcement was not applied.

"We can emulate China in enforcing the law against corruptors," Syafii said.

Under Chinese law, corruption charges carry a maximum death sentence.

Nurcholish, meanwhile, asked the anticorruption champions to develop a common definition of corruption.

"A government official who owns a company is not categorized as a corruptor (in Indonesia), but in developed countries he or she is, by all means, a corruptor," he said.

Earlier, Muslim scholar Abdul Munir Mulkhan had warned of the difficulties in defining corruption. In daily practice among Muslims, corruption is a minor sin that could become a good deed if some of the stolen money is donated to orphanages or mosques.