Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's Islamic leaders have declared a national war against corruption in politics.

Anti-graft activists have long been complaining that as many as 70 per cent of the country's MPs are "tainted" and do not deserve to be re-elected into office, and now the Muslim leaders have decided to lend their support to the anti-corruption campaign.

The group, which called last week for voters to start blacklisting corrupt candidates, included Mr Salahuddin Wahid, the brother of former president Abdurrahman Wahid. He is also a leader of the 40-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's biggest Muslim organisation.

The coming elections, Mr Salahuddin said, must produce "clean and honourable leaders" who can effect change in Indonesia.

Mr Din Syamsuddin, a vice-chairman of 30-million-member Muhammadiyah, also endorsed the initiative, saying Muslim communities had to be "more active in monitoring and reporting corrupt politicians to the authorities".

These and other voices suggest corruption is taking centre stage in Indonesia ahead of legislative elections in April and the country's first direct presidential polls in July.

The list of public officials who have been linked to graft scandals is extensive. But few have faced prosecution, and fewer still have served jail time, even after being convicted.

Parliamentary Speaker Akbar Tandjung is a target of activists' criticisms at this time, given that he remains a free man and keeps both his government and Golkar party leader jobs despite a three-year jail sentence for graft that dates back to last year.

NU and Muhammadiyah leaders said their organisations had started internal programmes to clean up and it was time to extend such measures to the larger society.

Now, activists have secured what has been described as "moral backing" from religious leaders and they expect voters to pay more attention to candidates' graft track record as they head for the polls.

Mr Teten Masduki, head of the Indonesian Corruption Watch, said: "The religious leaders' backing will be crucial. We hope more voters will now take the need to review politicians based on their links to graft as a responsibility." This current "war against corruption" exists as a loose coalition of religious and anti-graft groups, but Mr Teten said there were several things it could do to combat graft more effectively .

There is hope now that regular Indonesians will be more willing to act as whistleblowers and to help the police with investigations. As well, activists have decided to compile profiles of candidates and politicians and to disseminate the information freely to voters ahead of elections.

Ms Emmy Hafild, head of Transparency International in Indonesia, said: "It is not too late, but Indonesian voters have to start acting on this type of information. Otherwise, the country's leaders will remain corrupt."