NGOs commit to anticorruption drive
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.