Jakarta – Noted Indonesian antigraft campaigner Teten Masduki has been named as one of the six recipients of this year's Ramon Magsaysay awards, organizer announced on Monday.

The head of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) won the Magsaysay public service award for "challenging Indonesians to expose corruption and claim their right to clean government." Established in 1957, the Magsaysay prize is often dubbed Asia's version of the Nobel Prize.

"I've never dreamt of receiving this prestigious award as what I've been doing is nothing extraordinary. I think everybody must fight against corruption because this is our country's biggest problem," he told The Jakarta Post from Medan, North Sumatra. He was meeting prosecutors from the province to discuss the antigraft campaign.

Teten plans to attend the annual awards ceremony on Aug. 31. The awards are named after late Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay.

Teten, who was born into a family of farmers, said that "I plunged into the activist world" after joining a 1985 demonstration by local farmers whose land had been stolen, AP reported.

In 1998, he volunteered to head Indonesia Corruption Watch, which became a clearinghouse for information about corruption, collusion and nepotism. Last year, the group examined 432 graft cases causing an estimated loss to Indonesia of some US$580 million.

The other recipients of the Magsaysay awards are Thai senator Jon Ungphakorn, Bangladesh journalist Matiur Rahman, Indian physician V. Shanta, South Korea's Yoon Hye-Ran and Laotian Sombath Somphone.