Corruption Strong in Rhetoric

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo delivers a lecture titled “Understanding, Preventing and Eradicating Corruption” at the Bandung Institute of Technology in Bandung city, West Java, on Wednesday (25/4/2018).

Indonesia Corruption Watch has released its findings about the light sentence for corruption defendants. The average corruption penalty is only two years and two months in prison.

The light sentence by the judges was in line with the low demand by prosecutors for corruption cases throughout 2017. ICW calculated the prosecutors\' average in demands against corruption defendants at only two years and two months. The magnitude of the state losses was not commensurate with the demand for the restitution. According to ICW records, state losses from corruption amounted to Rp 29.4 trillion, while the restitution money that the judges decided on was only Rp 1.4 trillion. Only 4.91 percent!

The ICW\'s findings at least illustrates how the elite of the nation is not serious in eradicating corruption. Corruption is still seen as the oil of economic development. The division of commissions in business transactions is seen as commonplace. Possibly, it is only the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) that is serious about eradicating corruption, even though the support of its elite is also weak.

Corporal punishment, in addition to being too light, does not create a deterrent effect without the seizure of corruption assets. The confiscation of corruption assets through money laundering is what we want to push. Corporal punishment must be supplemented with additional criminal sanctions, such as the revocation of political rights or the seizure of assets derived from corruption.

From the eyes of the economy, without the seizure of corruption assets, corruption convicts can still multiply the corruption money they manage to hide. Being in jail, the corruption defendants can still enjoy and "buy" in prison while enjoying the results of the corruption they successfully kept hidden.

The confiscation of corruption assets secured through money laundering crimes is what we want to uphold. Of course, there will be lawsuits about the human rights of the corruption defendants, but it must also be realized that with the consequences of corruption practices, the people also feel an impact.

The eradication of corruption requires strong leadership, not leadership that promotes a personal image. Strong leadership should fully support the existence of the KPK. Leadership that relies heavily on personal image will only generate public cynicism. We see President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has the capital to combat corruption. Only, the problem is whether the anticorruption agenda is still on the agenda of the government he leads.

Corruption rhetoric is widely produced. Corruption is strong in rhetoric, but weak in terms of implementation. We emphasize again a Kompas editorial from Sept. 14, 1965, titled "Pentjolengan Ekonomi" (Plundering of the Economy). "The issue of the plundering of the economy is now being discussed again […] what is awaited by the people now is not only \'talk\' but concrete action. Capture, judge, sentence, hang, shoot them!"

The rage against corruption has long been buried and we are still talking about it. We do not want to suggest radical or angry steps like in 1965. However, we want a concrete step from President Jokowi to show he takes sides in the eradication of corruption!