Rhetoric is Not Enough

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) inaugurated the Anti-Corruption Education Center Building at the KPK office complex on Jl. HR Rasuna Kavling C1, Kuningan, Jakarta, Monday (26/11/2018). Through the inauguration, the KPK invites the public to eradicate corruption through anticorruption education.

The issue of corruption has appeared again on the campaign stage. Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto said in Singapore that corruption in Indonesia had entered its fourth stage.

World Bank President James Wolfensohn said at the IMF and World Bank meetings on Oct. 1 to 3, 1996, that “… we have to fight against the corruption cancer. In so many countries, it is the people who demand concrete actions (Korupsi, B. Herry Priyono, 2018).”

Several days later, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said there was no tolerance against corruptors. The President’s speech was delivered during the commemoration of World Anti-Corruption Day on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. President Jokowi’s speech was similar to that of Wolfensohn’s on the same occasion. “I emphasize here, the World Bank group will not tolerate corruption in the programs it supports.”

In a number of evaluations in this column, we emphasized several times that corruption in Indonesia had entered an emergency stage. The scope of corruption extends from Sabang to Merauke. The corruption virus has reached all professions and branches of power, from the executive and judicial to the legislative branches, including state commissions. Advocates, prosecutors, judges, court clerks, police, politicians, ministers, ambassadors, businesspeople, members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) have all been involved in corruption cases.

Corruption is a hot topic in campaigns. Like in the previous general election, there was a party that shouted, “Say no to corruption”, yet the campaign star was imprisoned for corruption.

Whether corruption has entered its fourth stage or not is irrelevant. This is only a matter of diction, a matter of rhetoric. What should be focused on are the programs being offered by the presidential candidates to free Indonesia from corruption. When corruption in Indonesia has entered its fourth stage, will there be a step to amputate it? Will there be amnesty for all corrupt officials who want to announce and hand over their wealth to the state?

President Jokowi emphasized in his statement that there would be no tolerance for corruption. Can it be interpreted that there will be no more clemency for corruption convicts and that the President will issue a government regulation in lieu of the law to revoke the corruptors’ political rights? The revocation of the corruptors\' political rights is in line with a statement from the chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Agus Rahardjo, who said corruption was closely related to political parties.

Or does the anticorruption rhetoric of the presidential candidates only give birth to an anticorruption movement that has metamorphosed into an "anticorruption industry" and with it an "anticorruption consulting industry". If that is what happens, corruption will only give birth to the anticorruption movement industry. In fact, what is needed is radical action to end corruption in order to start a new chapter of history.