The Irony of Langkat: Two Consecutive Regents Caught by KPK
Langkat Regency is once again in the spotlight after two of its regents were caught in Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sting operations within a span of roughly four years. Ironically, the newly arrested regent is the successor of the previous head of the region who was also apprehended by the KPK.
In January 2022, the KPK conducted a sting operation against former Langkat Regent Terbit Rencana Perangin-angin and several other individuals. Following an investigation, the KPK named Terbit and five others as suspects. He was subsequently tried at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court, found guilty of accepting bribes related to Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) projects in 2021, and sentenced to 9 years in prison and a fine of Rp 300 million. His sentence was later reduced on appeal to 7.5 years in prison, a decision upheld at the cassation level. In addition to the corruption case, Terbit was also convicted in the ‘human cage’ case. He was initially acquitted, but the Supreme Court overturned the verdict and sentenced him to 4 years in prison and a fine of Rp 200 million. His subsequent judicial review was rejected by the Supreme Court.
On Thursday, 2 July 2026, the KPK conducted a sting operation against Langkat Regent Syah Afandin, also known as Ondim. Ondim became the second Langkat Regent to be caught in a consecutive KPK sting operation. The suspect designation against Syah is related to a bribery case involving projects at the Education Agency and the Housing and Settlement Areas Agency (Perkim) of Langkat Regency. In this bribery case, the KPK has named two suspects: Langkat Regent Syah Afandin (SAF) and a member of SAF’s 2024 election campaign team, Yaqub Abd Al-Mu’arif (YQB).
The KPK stated that Syah did not only accept bribes but also received gratuities amounting to at least Rp 3.5 billion. “The KPK also found allegations of other receipts or gratuities by SAF totalling at least Rp 3.5 billion, among others, allegedly related to the transfer and filling of positions within the Education Agency and sub-district heads in Langkat Regency,” said Acting KPK Director of Investigation Achmad Taufik Husein during a press conference at the KPK building in Jakarta on Friday (3/7). In addition to positions within the Langkat Regency government, the alleged gratuities were also related to the appointment of elementary and junior high school principals. The KPK stated that Syah engaged in the buying and selling of school principal positions.
The KPK expressed regret over the sting operations that caught two Langkat Regents in succession. The KPK likened the situation to a ‘regeneration of corruptors’ following the latest sting operation that ensnared Syah Afandin. “The irony is that SAF was the Deputy Regent at that time, then became Acting Regent, and was elected as Regent for the 2025-2030 period. So this caught-in-the-act incident seems like a back-to-back corruption practice,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo during a press conference at the KPK on Friday (4/7). “It is even like a regeneration of corruption perpetrators in Langkat Regency,” he added. The KPK reminded that Syah’s successor must safeguard the people’s mandate and ensure that corrupt practices do not recur. “The re-entrapment of the Langkat Regent also serves as a stern warning for local government ranks,” he stated.