After Being Dismissed By The KPK, Novel Baswedan Et Al Established IM 57+ Institute

JAKARTA - Novel Baswedan and 56 employees who were dismissed from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) established the Indonesia Calling (IM) 57+ Institute as a forum to continue the work of eradicating corruption.

The declaration of the establishment of this institution was delivered when the dozens of employees set foot for the last time in the anti-corruption commission office.

"With this, we have established the IM 57+ Institute, which in the future will become a platform to unite and collaborate to continue the work of eradicating corruption in our own way," said an inactive KPK employee, M Praswad Nugraha during a speech at the KPK Supervisory Board Office, Jalan Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Thursday, September 30.

This institute will later unite with the Anti-Corruption Civil Society Coalition to carry out work that will be adjusted to their abilities while still working at the KPK.

Those who will later fill the IM 57+ Institute are the former Deputy for Coordination and Supervision of the KPK Hery Muryanto; former Director of Inter-Commission and Agencies Network Development (PJKAKI) KPK Sujanarko; former KPK investigator Novel Baswedan; former Director of Socialization and Anti-Corruption Campaign of the KPK Giri Suprapdiono; and former Head of the KPK HR Bureau Chandra SR as the Executive Board.

In addition to the Executive Board, there is also an Investigation Board consisting of senior investigators and investigators, a Law and Strategic Research Board consisting of legal experts and senior researchers, and an Education and Training Board consisting of experts in anti-corruption education and training.

"We owe it to the Indonesian people today," said Praswad.

"I say it's not the people who owe us but we owe it to the Indonesian people to return all knowledge, all knowledge. All the skills we got for 15 years, 20 years at the KPK must be returned in cash to the Indonesian people," he added.

It was previously reported that 58 employees were declared unable to work at the KPK because they could not become ASN according to the mandate of the KPK Law Number 19 of 2019 as of the end of September. The employees include 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 KPK argues that their inability to become ASN is not because of laws and regulations such as the KPK Perkom Number 1 of 2021 but because of the results of their TWK assessment. Not only that, but the KPK also ensures that employees have been given the same opportunities even if they have passed the age limit or have stopped being State Civil Apparatus (ASN).

However, the decision caused a polemic considering the discovery of a number of maladministration and abuse of authority in the National Insight Test (TWK) process by the Indonesian Ombudsman. Not only that, but the National Human Rights Commission (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) is also silent on the recommendations that have been given by the two institutions and has argued that he does not want to be withdrawn in institutional matters.