Ezra Sihite & Rangga Prakoso – Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali says he has no idea why the Corruption Eradication Commission ranked his ministry as one of Indonesia's most corrupt.

"I don't understand why the Religious Affairs Ministry has been accused of being the most corrupt [institution]," Suryadharma said in brief comments at the House of Representatives on Thursday.

He said he had sent a letter to the commission, known as the KPK, asking for an explanation as to why the ministry was ranked alongside the Jakarta city administration at the bottom of the integrity survey.

"Healthy criticism should be based on fact, as criticism can be debated," the controversial minister said.

In an unfortunate coincidence for Suryadharma, the Attorney General's Office on Thursday named two officials from the ministry suspects for allegedly marking up the prices of laboratory equipment for Islamic schools. The fraud allegedly cost the state Rp 25 billion ($2.75 million).