Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government's lack of legitimacy and political will has allowed corruption to flourish, say activist students, the vanguard of the country's reform movement.
They also suggested that the country, which has been mired in protracted multidimensional crises, badly needs a powerful government with strong commitment to combating corruption.
"We need a strong government and national leaders with excellent leadership skills to combat corruption," Robert Nalenan from the Indonesian Catholic Students Association (PMKRI) told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Fellow activist Kholis Malik from the Islamic Students Association (HMI) concurred and suggested that an overhaul in the country's state administration was necessary. "Corruption is rampant in almost all sectors in both the central and regional administrations," Kholis said.
The two activists were commenting on a survey released by the Berlin-based Transparency International that named Indonesia as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. According to the survey, Indonesia is the second most corrupt country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Myanmar, and the third in Asia after Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Rampant corruption, collusion, nepotism practices in both the bureaucracy and the private sector have been blamed for the economic crisis that has beleaguered the country since 1997, with the rupiah plunging and unemployment soaring.
Students, who spearheaded the country's reform movement that culminated in the downfall of former dictator Soeharto in May 1998, had demanded sweeping reforms, including the prosecution of big time corrupters. Five years after Soeharto's forced resignation, however, Indonesia has yet to see a big time corrupter put behind bars.
House of Representative Speaker Akbar Tandjung was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a high-profile financial scandal involving the National Logistics Agency (Bulog). However, Akbar, who is also chairman of Golkar, the second biggest faction in the House, remains free pending appeal.
Kwik Kian Gie, head of the National Development Planning Board and a leader of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), once said that corruption was much worse now than in the past.
Fellow PDI Perjuangan legislators Emir Moeis acknowledged that corruption still existed. Emir suggested that all offices tasked with supervising financial affairs must focus their activities on the money allocated for regional development. "The potential corruption is there because the amount of money distributed to regional administrations is Rp 114 trillion [$13.4 billion]," Emir said.
Separately, officials from the National Law Commission (KHN) disclosed on Wednesday that the government would set up a special court to deal with corruption cases. The special court dealing with corruption cases will be first set up in Jakarta.
"The Attorney General's Office is doing the preparations for the setting up of that special court," KHN member Harkristuti Harkrisnowo was quoted by Antara as saying in Sanur, Bali, on Wednesday. Thirty 30 state prosecutors and 10 judges are to get special courses for the court, she added.
In the meantime, KHN chairman J.E. Sahetapy said the House's legal commission was prepared to probe corruption cases considered to be conducted improperly. Sahetapy said the commission would only be able to reopen corruption cases if there was a demand from the people to do so.
He emphasized that corruption was rampant at all levels of society. According to him, revision of existing laws would not be enough to combat corruption. "It must be combined with consistency and morality," he added.