Sex, corruption are the order of the day
Sex, corruption are the order of the day
JAKARTA (JP): Sex scandals and corruption in government
circles were two issues raised before State Minister of
Administrative Reforms T.B. Silalahi during a hearing with
Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR) yesterday.
Silalahi said his office receives up to 100 letters of
complaints every month about "moral crimes" allegedly committed
by civil servants.
He said the cases include corruption, sex scandals and
polygamous marriages without their supervisor's permission.
Legislator A.A. Oka Mahendra of Commission II during the
hearing said the corruption cases mostly involve well-paid senior
officials, the same ones who preach about the need for clean and
respectable government.
Recently, the government failed to take action against a
senior bureaucrat reported to have had extra-marital love
affairs, he said.
The DPR member representing the government-backed Golkar group
also questioned the absence of official reports on how
commissions from development projects have been used.
Silalahi gave his assurances that the government will punish
those who commit "moral crimes" if it has sufficient evidence.
He said all incoming complaints are processed by an advisory
board that he chairs. Cases involving upper echelon officials are
referred directly to the president, he added.
"The cases are not publicized because they would have serious
psychological impacts on the families of the accused," he said.
The government is considering amending a 1980 regulation which
sets the standard on civil servants' discipline to improve public
services.
Silalahi said the decree needed adjusting under the present
demand.
He acknowledged that corruption among well-paid senior
officials is commonplace due to the amounts of money they need to
maintain their affluent lifestyles.
For some officials, their demand for luxuries grows in line
with their rising positions, he said.
The minister said the government will not increase the number
of civil servants in the coming five years but will improve
effectiveness of the existing personnel. (pan)