Rampant bribery taints civil servant selection

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Bribery allegations have marred the recruitment process for new civil servants in North Sumatra, with applicants being forced to make unauthorized payments of Rp 45 million (US$5,294) each in order to be accepted.

The rampant bribery has involved high-ranking officials in several regencies across the province, applicants have said.

They admitted that they were asked to pay the bribes via close relatives of the senior officials concerned.

However, several of the applicants were disappointed because they were not accepted as new civil servants. This was because officials had not received enough money from them, in accordance with the amounts they had been predetermined.

D. Br. Siahaan, one of the disappointed applicants, confessed to having paid Rp 35 million to the family of a certain official with the Dairi regency administration, but found himself excluded from the list of accepted civil servants on Nov. 19.

He believes this was because he failed to pay Rp 45 million, as required by the official.

"I was asked for Rp 45 million, but paid only Rp 35 million. I promised to pay the rest after being accepted as a civil servant," Siahaan told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

He was surprised, upon hearing the Nov. 19 announcement, that he had failed the selection test for civil servants.

"I want to become a civil servant because I will receive a pension. I was extremely disappointed at my failure, even though I paid the money (bribe)," he said.

Siahaan vowed to recover his Rp 35 million. He declined to name the official who had asked for the money.

He said he knew that the Dairi administration had sought to fill vacancies for 120 new civil servant positions, from a relative close to a senior official there.

However, candidates were reportedly required to pay Rp 45 million each in order for their applications to be accepted, Siahaan added.

Similar bribery allegations have also been circulating in the regency administrations of North Tapanuli, Pematang Siantar and Deli Serdang.

Reinhard, from North Tapunuli, whose wife was interested in applying for a job as a civil servant, confirmed certain officials there required her and other applicants to pay Rp 45 million each.

Reinhard said he was notified that the North Tapanuli administration was seeking 157 new civil servants, mostly teachers.

The bribery-tainted selection process for civil servants has caused concern among members of the North Sumatra legislative council.

Banuaran Ritonga, a councillor from Commission III, commented that such bribery allegations were common knowledge in Indonesia, but no legal action was ever taken against those involved.

If this situation persisted it would continue to promote unfairness in the recruitment of new civil servants, he said.

"Corruption within the selection process for civil servants can be carried out smoothly because it involves the collusion of many parties. Council members often also support it," Banuaran added.

He urged the central government to change urgently the national selection mechanism and civil servant recruitment procedures to prevent the recurrence of more bribery.

It's time now to set up an independent committee involving experts and other credible individuals to select new civil servants, he said.

"If deemed necessary, the recruitment of civil servants should be handed over to a credible institution with impeccable credentials," Banuaran added.