UGM Anti-Corruption Centre: BGN and Deputy Minister Graft Expose Acute Bureaucratic Pathology

A recent string of corruption cases ensnaring several high-ranking state officials in quick succession is seen as a strong signal of an acute pathology in Indonesia’s bureaucracy. Anti-Corruption Research Centre (Pukat) UGM researcher Zaenur Rohman stressed that the practice of abuse of authority has now developed into a deeply rooted, systematic problem. The strong statement came following legal action against former National Nutrition Agency (BGN) chief Dadan Hindayana, who was detained over alleged corruption in the management of the flagship Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Two former BGN deputy chiefs, Lodewyk Pusung and Sony Sonjaya, were also jailed in the same case. Almost simultaneously, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections Silmy Karim as a suspect. Silmy is alleged to be involved in an extortion case related to immigration document processing. Zaenur Rohman assessed the extortion case in the immigration sector as a true portrait of a bureaucratic disease that is difficult to cure. He noted that the modus operandi of charging money for public services is an old, recurring pattern. ‘This is usually referred to as bureaucratic pathology. Illegal levies are no longer carried out sporadically; they have become a habit considered normal within the public service chain,’ Zaenur said on Thursday (6/4). He added that these irregularities are suspected not to stop at the field officer level, but flow structurally to the top. ‘This bureaucratic disease occurs because the bureaucracy has become accustomed to playing games. They make payments upwards. It is systematic because the damage has become institutionalised,’ he asserted. Specifically regarding the immigration sector case, Zaenur highlighted the lack of transparency concerning official procedures and costs. This ‘dark space’ is exploited by individuals to commit extortion, a long-standing public grievance that has rarely been addressed through fundamental reform. The involvement of former BGN officials and the Deputy Minister of Immigration in legal troubles shows that integrity remains the government’s biggest challenge. Zaenur judges that current governance is still far from being considered clean. As a solution to break this pathological chain, Pukat UGM urged the government to expand transparency across all public service lines. Information on procedures, costs, service times, and complaint mechanisms must be easily accessible to the public without hindrance. ‘The public must know what services are provided, how much they cost, and where to complain if irregularities occur. Reporting channels for victims also need to be clarified so they are not afraid to report,’ Zaenur concluded.