Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Malang (East Java) – The alleged efforts of the House of Representatives, Indonesian Police, Attorney General Office and Supreme Court to diminish the authority of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have received strong objection from activists of the Malang Corruption Watch (MCW).
In a rally prior to the Idul Fitri celebration at Alun-alun Malang Square, dozens of activists wore masks bearing the faces of National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri and Attorney General Hendarman Supandji while carrying "Save KPK" placards.
Marching together with students from local universities, they yelled phrases condemning the four institutions and accusing them of attempting to reduce the KPK, which they said had been a super body in the corruption eradication in the country.
"We reject the criminalization of the KPK and the approval of the bill on corruption court," said Zia Ul Haq, coordinator of the protesters.
He said the refusal was expressed because both the House and the government had agreed on the draft of the bill regardless of whether the bill would instead weaken the role of the corruption court.
"We therefore demand that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issues a replacement law (perppu) regarding the matter as soon as possible," Zia said.
In accordance with the Constitutional Court's decision, the law on corruption court is expected to strengthen the court's existence and role in dealing with corruption cases and will be the only court in charge of such cases in the country.
However, Zia said House and the government had systematically conducted efforts to weaken its role and existence "In fact, it's them that have to provide political guarantee to strengthen the corruption court," he said.
Activities considered to have weakened the court's role and existence included the composition of the judges, comprised of two career judges and an ad hoc one according to the draft, which the activists felt degraded the existence of the ad hoc judge.
Others activities included what they considered as unrealistic establishment of corruption courts at all provincial levels and the reduction of the KPK's authority in which it is required to hand over the prosecution of corruption cases to prosecutors' offices.
"These are things that are not stipulated in the Constitutional Court's decision," Zia said.
Luthfi J Kurniawan, executive director of In Trans Institute, an institute concerning people's civilian rights, expressed the same thing, saying that efforts to weaken the KPK's role must be refused. "Weakening the KPK is the same as reducing the people's basic rights," Luthfi said.
He added both the House and the government were very disappointing in terms of the bill on corruption case as what they decided was not in line with the people's aspiration. "The draft is not advantageous for the corruption eradication efforts and will instead create a setback," Luthfi said.
He expressed hope that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who had promised to eradicate corruption, would show his commitment and be a savior in the case.
"The President has to act clearly and fully support the corruption eradication by controlling the deliberation and preparing a regulation-lieu-in-law (perppu) to issue soon," he said.