PP Muhammadiyah Urges President to Personally Lead Corruption Eradication

The spate of recent corruption allegations has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, with cases implicating local governments and law enforcement officials further eroding public trust in anti-corruption efforts. PP Muhammadiyah Chairman Haedar Nashir stated that the situation indicates corruption has reached an alarming phase. He urged President Prabowo Subianto to personally take charge of coordinating all state institutions in a unified war against corruption. “Corruption is at an emergency stage. The President, as head of government, must directly lead the eradication of corruption through the institutions established by the state,” Haedar said on the sidelines of a meeting with the Forum of Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah University Rectors in Yogyakarta. Haedar emphasised that corruption is now a major national problem, on par with poverty and limited employment opportunities. Therefore, he argued, its resolution cannot be partial but must be structured, massive, and systemic. He noted that recent alleged corruption cases, including the discovery of 74 kilograms of gold bars and hundreds of billions of rupiah in Sentul, as well as cases involving law enforcement personnel, serve as a wake-up call for all state institutions. He insisted that no institution should consider itself immune to legal scrutiny. “However, all processes must still respect the principle of presumption of innocence and be proven through legal mechanisms,” he said. Haedar also commended law enforcement officials who have dared to investigate alleged corruption within their own ranks. He believes such courage can be a momentum to strengthen public trust in the rule of law. He reminded that eradicating corruption cannot rely solely on moral appeals or religious approaches. “It is not enough to just appeal and invite. Even the power of religion has its limits when facing problems that are already structured within the system,” he said. Therefore, Haedar urged all law enforcement institutions, from the Police and Attorney General’s Office to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), to work in harmony. He also called on all ministries and state agencies to set aside sectoral egos for the sake of the nation. He acknowledged that differences of opinion between institutions are normal, but stressed that such conditions must not hinder the major agenda of eradicating corruption. “This massive corruption must be tackled together in a strong system and orchestration. Only through a system can we eradicate corruption,” he stated. Furthermore, Haedar called on civil society, community organisations, and all elements of the nation to continue overseeing the anti-corruption agenda. He described the fight against corruption as a long-term task that must be accelerated. “Eradicating corruption is a long-term task. But there should be no slowdown; what is needed is acceleration so that Indonesia truly has a clean government,” he said.