When Students Surrounded The KPK And Voiced The Fate Of 57 Employees, Firli Bahuri Went To Jambi

JAKARTA - The All-Indonesian Student Executive Board Alliance (BEM SI) surrounded the Red and White Building of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to voice the fate of 57 employees who were dismissed at the end of September due to not passing the National Insight Test (TWK). However, this urge was not immediately heard by the Chairman of the KPK, Firli Bahuri, who was in Jambi to carry out his duties.

The BEM SI action mass came to the KPK building on Monday, September 27 to convey their aspirations regarding the polemic regarding the dismissal of Novel Baswedan et al, which will take place on September 30. They carried a number of banners that contained innuendoes for Firli Bahuri and urged him to resign from his position as head of the anti-corruption commission.

The voice of the orator from above the command car was alternately heard. They not only mentioned the issue of TWK getting rid of people of integrity but also asked Firli Bahuri to be fired from his position.

"Fire Firli. Fire, fire, fire Firli. Fire Firli right now," said an orator from the command car in front of the KPK's Red and White Building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta.

This kind of call continued to be echoed by the mass of action until the afternoon before they dispersed. However, Firli, whose name continues to be called by students, did not hear her because she was in Jambi.

Acting KPK Spokesperson for Prevention Ipi Maryati explained Firli's arrival in Jambi to carry out an integrated corruption eradication program in the region. This activity will be held from Monday to Friday, October 1.

There are a number of activities to be carried out, including Coordination Meetings (Rakor) on Prevention of Corruption of Local Governments; DPRD Corruption Prevention Coordination Meeting; Coordination Meeting of law enforcement officers; and the Jambi Provincial Government UKPBJ Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting (monev).

In addition, other activities are the Jambi Provincial Government Revenue Optimization and Asset Improvement Meeting; Jambi City Government Revenue and Asset Optimization Meeting; Meeting with Bank Jambi regarding the implementation of the Anti-Bribery Management System (SMAP); and Troubled Asset Field Overview.

"Starting a week-long series of KPK activities in Jambi, today at 09.00-12.00 the Chairperson of the KPK and the ranks of the Korsup Directorate of KPK Region I will attend the Corruption Prevention Coordination Meeting for the Regional Government of the Jambi Province at the Jambi Governor's Office House Auditorium," Ipi told reporters.

Meanwhile, Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, asked all parties, including students, to evaluate their performance objectively. Moreover, until now the anti-corruption commission continues to carry out its duties to eradicate and prevent corrupt practices.

"KPK through various prevention efforts, education, as well as prosecution is trying to continue to prove its work to the public. Next, the public is welcome to evaluate it objectively," he said in response to the demonstration in his office.

Ali said that his party did not want to be dynamic about the TWK polemic which caused dozens of its employees to be dismissed because they could not be appointed as ASN. He said the KPK is now more focused on carrying out their duties and functions.

"KPK remains focused on the work of eradicating corruption, so we don't want to be dynamic in responding to this issue," he said.

Even so, the KPK ensures that it continues to listen to suggestions and input from the public, including the SI BEM who have demonstrated. However, Ali asked them to see the facts clearly and be able to elaborate them in concrete ideas and actions.

Moreover, so far the anti-corruption commission has collaborated with campuses on anti-corruption education in various ways.

"We also hope that the public will not be easily provoked into things that are actually counterproductive. Because of the challenges and tasks of eradicating corruption in the future, we still have a lot to do. Solidity and synergy of the parties are important to realize our common hope, a prosperous and prosperous Indonesian society, " said Ali.

It was previously reported that 57 KPK employees were dismissed because they did not qualify as ASN according to the mandate of the KPK Law Number 19 of 2019. The employees included senior KPK investigators Novel Baswedan and Ambarita Damanik, Chairman of the KPK Employee Forum Yudi Purnomo, KPK investigator Harun Al-Rasyid, and dozens of other names.

The anti-corruption commission argued that their inability to become ASN was not due to laws and regulations such as Perkom KPK Number 1 of 2021 but because of the results of their TWK assessment. Not only that, the KPK also ensures that employees have been given the same opportunity even though they have passed the age limit or have stopped being ASN.

However, the decision caused a polemic given the discovery of a number of maladministration and abuse of authority in the TWK process by the Indonesian Ombudsman. Not only that, Komnas HAM also found violations of 11 employees' rights.

Thus, this is a polemic because the KPK and the State Civil Service Agency (BKN) do not want to follow up on corrective actions or recommendations issued by the Indonesian Ombudsman and Komnas HAM, respectively. In addition, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has also remained silent on the recommendations given by the two institutions and argued that he did not want to be withdrawn in institutional matters.