JAKARTA - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri commented on the book read by the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan How Democracies Die. However, lately his statement has generated a negative response from the public because he is deemed not necessary to participate in polemic about the book that Anies is reading.
Firli's comment about the book How Democracies Die was made when he delivered a speech at the handover ceremony of the KPK booty. At that time, he alluded to many countries, including Indonesia, considering corruption as an extraordinary crime that caused failure in a state system.
"So, yesterday I saw it was in the media, Mr. Anies read How Democracies Dies. Previously there was a book Why Nations Fail. I have read that book for a long time, in 2002 I have read the book. If someone has just read it now, many criticize ' right, it's been a long time since the book, "said Firli in the" Handover of Confiscation from the KPK "broadcast on the KPK's YouTube account, Tuesday, November 25.
Recently, netizens responded to his statement on social media, especially Twitter. In fact, due to the excitement, the name of the KPK fugitive who was a former PDI-P candidate who became a bribe for former KPU Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan, Harun Masiku, had become a trending topic. The reason is that many netizens alluded to Firli's statement by reminding him that he should catch Harun, who had been fugitive for 9 months and had not been found.
In addition, netizens also alluded to Firli's statement saying that he had read the book How Democracies Dies since 2002. In fact, based on netizens' searches, the book by Steve Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt contains research on new forms of authoritarianism in many countries of the world that were previously known to adhere to democratic system released in 2018.
Knowing that he received a negative spotlight, Firli then clarified his statement. According to him, he did not mention reading the book How Democracies Die in 2002 but reading How Nation Fails. The former Deputy for Corruption Eradication of the Corruption Eradication Commission also said he was wrong to mention the year when he read the book.
"This morning I said that Mr. Anies (Anies Baswedan) read How Democracies Dies. I saw that someone had read the book Why Nations Fail. Well, I have been reading the book for a long time, meaning I read Why Nations Fail in 2012, this book is what I intent, "said Firli in his statement.
Firli also admitted that the book Why Nations Fail he read was the first edition published in Great Britain in 2012 and is not a translation in Indonesian. "I mean the Why Nations Fail book that I have read in 2012, the original edition that was first published in Great Britain in 2012 (not an Indonesian translation). I still keep the book in my library," he said.
Seeing this polemic, the Executive Director of the Indonesia Political Review (IPR), Ujang Komarudin, assessed that the public need not be overly responding. Firli, he said, did not intend to climb socially to be known, but he was considered to have taken the momentum of the crowd after DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan uploaded a photo of himself reading How Democracies Die on his social media account.
"It seems that Pak Firli is talking about the context of eradicating corruption. Maybe he also wants to be trending to raise the issue of corruption because there is a moment when Anies is reading the book How Democracies Die and it is legal if the book is used as a reference for firli in the agenda of eradicating corruption so that democracy does not die," he said when contacted by VOI.
However, a different opinion emerged from the Coordinator of the Coalition for Anti-Corruption Communities (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman. He said, Firli did not actually need to convey matters outside his main duties and functions. Because, he must remember that he is not a politician but the Chairman of the KPK.
"Pak Firli is talkative about comments and it seems as if he is better, smarter by calling the books that Mr. Anies reads are old books and he has read more great books. This is something that the KPK chairman actually doesn't need to do. not a politician, not a member of the DPR, "he said.
As KPK chairman, Boyamin assessed that Firli actually had more tasks to do, one of which was to arrest Harun Masiku, who is still a fugitive.
He was also asked to give up all this kind of rhetoric and best keep his statement. Moreover, Firli has often been under the spotlight for various reasons including when he violated the KPK's code of ethics when using a luxury helicopter for his personal gain which was later warned by the KPK Supervisory Board.
"Stop the words. Start doing real work in eradicating corruption because the eradication of corruption during Pak Firli's time has indeed declined and many people complain that they no longer trust the KPK," he concluded.
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