JAKARTA - Corruption that plagues Indonesia is a historical legacy. The practice of extortion (Pungli) was even more enduring when the Company established power in the archipelago.
Not only Dutch officials, Bumiputra officials also perpetuated corruption. The reason for living in luxury for the sake of supporting the family. As a result, his position was used to attract bribes, tribute, and embezzled taxes. Then the custom was continued by Bumiputra officials, at least to this day.
The practice of extortion stems from most traditional kingdoms --Majapahit, Mataram, and other kingdoms - giving full power to a native bumiputra official to control the economy in certain areas.
And from there, officials from among the priyai "roughly" get food. We once discussed at length the causes of corruption in the writings on The Historical Roots of Corruption in Indonesia and How Ancient Those Who Are Still Corrupt Today.
Mataram kingdom, for example. The kings of Mataram in his day gave many powers to the bumiputra officials. Namely, a farmer unit consisting of four men. As a result, the financial, political, and military positions of officials are measured by the number of their numbers. the more counts that are controlled, the higher their position to the commoner.
Historian Ong Hok Ham explained that the chopper was then given a piece of land (two smells) with part of the land being handed over to officials. In addition, the priayi has the right to use chopping power for residential purposes, the establishment of irrigation, roads, bridges, plantations, and so on.
Anyone who wants to have an interest in taking care of permits or making use of the census must deal with the bumiputra official. It is not uncommon to make matters easier, each person has to hand over tribute or facilitation payments to the official. Therefore, the position as a bumiputra official, whether it be regent, demang, or bekel, is a struggle.
Over time, the King of Java then took up the position as was the custom of European kingdoms. "The position of a regent in an important area, for example, was sold for 10 thousand rials or more, and was paid for before the position was occupied."
This kind of commercialization helps state finances, but is a huge burden for the people, because all financial supervision by the center is completely removed. The position of regent or demang and bekel (tax / tribute collectors) at the lower level can even be purchased by anyone, including former rebel families or Chinese traders and Dutch private companies, wrote Ong Hok Ham in the book Wahyu Yang Hilang, Negeri yang Shuncang (2018).
Corruption that thrives is the fruit of the habit of selling positions. Because of that, the cultural explanation for the corrupt practices of bumiputra officials in the archipelago is often connected with evidence of ancient Javanese customs. Through the sale of office, a bumiputra official often offered tributes or offerings to the rulers. This habit is the root of bribery. In return, officials often blackmail the people to perpetuate their luxurious habits of life.
“In Javanese traditional culture, where loyalty to the family is greater than loyalty to the state, the obligations of public employees in their offices are secondary, and the main thing is obligations to the family and community. Every opportunity for the economy or family work is considered legitimate, ”said Sri Margana in the book Corruption in Indonesian History Cross (2016).
As a result, a position such as bekel just became like a "little king." This is because it can function as a tax collector, as well as having the power to appoint peasants who will be given the power to cultivate the land. Based on that, work as a bekel is scrambled. Bekel can increase prestige in the social, economic and cultural fields.
The same applies to other positions, especially regents. Since the system of forced cultivation (cultuur stelsel) was inaugurated by the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, Johannes van den Bosch (1830–1833) in 1830 has become evident.
The forced labor obliged each village to set aside a portion of its land for planting export commodities, particularly coffee, sugar cane and tea. This policy has become a fertile ground for the most intense extortion for the regents to take place.
Quoted from Soegeng Reksodihardjo in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo (2012), apart from the district head, he received a financial subsidy of 500 guilders to 1,500 guilders from the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies. They still enjoy the share of forced land. As well as the rights to service workers (200 people) a year, and tribute and other customary rights.
"It can be said that the Cultural Stelsel era was a period of the most intense 'extortion' action on the one hand, channeling millions of guilders to the Dutch State treasury and fattening up the regents. Meanwhile, the common people became increasingly emaciated and destitute. Strangely enough, the people at that time remained silent, not wanting to tell their plight to ask for relief. Everything is carried out in full obedience, "said Soegeng Reksodihardjo.
In the end, the habit of extortion and extravagance made the regent have greater needs than the needs of the resident (Netherlands) with a nuclear family, such as children and wives. This is because a regent has a large family in the form of family and children, especially if he has more than one wife. All of them - big family - were supported and given a job.
Not only that, the regents must also spend funds for parties, salvation, and to provide household food. Approximately, one regent needs about 2 thousand pikul of rice a year. In contrast to ordinary Dutch or Chinese families who only carry 25 shoulders.
"The tradition of being loyal to the family in Javanese culture is one of the ethics of nobility. His obligations as a public employee to his office are the second of their obligations to his family and community. Loyalty of this model has clearly become one of the roots of growing and even strengthening mentality and corrupt behavior, ”concluded Erlina Wiyanarti in her journal Corruption during the VOC Period in Multiperspective.
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