By : Erlangga Pratama, Researcher from Cersia’s Organization

The latest global corruption report by Transparency International Indonesia (TII) has again listed the House of Representatives as the institution judged by Indonesians to be the most corrupt. According to TII’s 2017 Global Corruption Barometer, released on Tuesday, the House has improved its image, with the percentage of respondents saying it was a dirty institution down from 89 percent in 2013 to 54 percent last year.

However, it has not done enough to escape from the dubious distinction of “most corrupt institution,” as other public service providers surveyed by TII still fared better than the House. Government officials came in second with 50 percent, followed by the regional councils with 47 percent.

TII conducted the survey between July 2015 to January 2017. The organization surveyed 1,000 respondents ranging between the ages of 18 and 55 in 31 provinces via a direct or phone call interview.

The year 2013 was the last time the TII conducted a public perception survey on public service providers. The corruption perception index (CPI) released annually by the TII interviews experts and businesspeople. In accordance with the findings, the TII called on political parties to conduct reform and improve their performance at the House and in the regional councils.

Wawan Suyatmiko, head of research management at TII said reports of alleged corruption by legislators still made headlines in national media and these headlines had dealt a blow to the House’s image.

Previously, in 2013, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) opened an investigation into irregularities in the procurement of electronic identity cards (E-KTPs). The antigraft body has already named two suspects in the case, namely Irman, a former Home Ministry director general for population and civil registration, and Sugiharto, a former population administration information management director for the directorate general.

The KPK has questioned around 200 witnesses, including House Speaker Setya Novanto and other legislators, regarding the Rp 5.9 trillion (US$443 million) project, which caused Rp 2.3 trillion in state losses.

Febri Diansyah, a KPK spokesperson, said that 14 House members had returned money allegedly used to bribe them during the deliberation of the project. In the first hearing on Thursday, the prosecutors will read out the indictments against Irman and Sugiharto. They are expected to name the legislators who allegedly took the bribes.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Masinton Pasaribu said he took the TII’s report as a challenge for the House. He added, however, that government officials were actually more prone to corruption as they were the ones who spent the budgets approved by the House.

Meanwhile, civil servants dominate corruption cases in Indonesia, research conducted by an anti-graft NGO revealed. In the research by Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) into corruption cases from 2013 to 2016, civil servants ranked first in involvement in graft cases followed by private-sector parties. The ranking indicated serious issues in the country’s administration.

According to ICW researcher Aradila Caesar, there is a high possibility that the procurement of goods and services remains the favorite sector to garner profits. Moreover, the 2014 Law on regional administration had not diminished corruption in the regions.

“Most civil servants involved in corruption are from provincial, regency and municipal administrations. Regional bureaucrats are still the biggest actors in corruption,” he said adding that local officials’ strategic position in holding key roles in local development had opened room for graft.

Death Penalty

             Strategically, we must look a corruption as a seriously threat which could be damaged for the future of an existence of Indonesia. Corruption is an extra ordinary crimes and this brute activities same with a terror groups and a separatist groups. They must be captured and given them a serious sentenced such as death penalty.

            We can see the impact of a corruption actions has been worst than a terrorist or a separatis activities, because a continually and annually corruption could be killed our future youth generation.

Corruption which done by a political elites or a high rank officer both civil servants and military or police officer must be given the perpetrators with a death penalty because they had failed to be a good model for their societies to eliminate a corruption practices. 

Most civil servants involved in corruption are from provincial, regency and municipal administrations. Regional bureaucrats are still the biggest actors in corruption. I think they aren’t a good civil servants because they dismissed and they disobeyed with their sworn since they took a status as civil servants.

Corruption practices which done by regional bureaucrats doesn’t happen alone, and its will be included the participation of regional legislators in provincial, regency and municipal. I think we must put their position as “a society enemies” and because of that they must be recieved a seriously sentences like a death penalty because our society have been shame to have bureaucrats and legislators like them.

If we have been given a terrorist perpetrators with a death penalty because terrorism is an extra ordinary crimes, so that we must give a corruptor with same law treatment with a terrorist perpetrators or a separatist through give them a death penalty.

If a death penalty will be implemented as one of verdict, its can be minimalized a corruption practices in Indonesia, because one of deterrence treatment which believed as an effectively punishment is a death penalty, because it is a key solution in the context we are going to war with a corruption practices in Indonesia. We must try it.