KPK Has Arrested Pemalang For Only A Year, Profile Of Mukti Agung Regent, Bus Entrepreneur Who Promises To Grant Salaries To The People

Pemalang Regent Mukti Agung (Screenshot of Pemalang Arts Council Youtube)

JAKARTA - Pemalang Regent Mukti Agung was caught in a corruption case. Thursday, August 11, he was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in front of the gates of the DPR RI, Senayan.

After the leadership of Mukti Agung, he was still young because he was only elected based on the 2020 Pemalang Regent general election with Mansur Hidayat. Supported by PPP and Gerindra, Mukti Agung-Mansur Hidayat will serve from 2021-2025.

Before going into politics, Mukti Agung was a bus entrepreneur (PO) Dewi Sri, a well-known bus in the Pantura of Central Java. In the 2011-2016 period, Mukti Agung was listed as the Deputy Regent of Pemalang with H Junaidi.

The relatives of Mukti Agung are not random people. This Trisakti University graduate is the younger brother of the Regent of Brebes, Idza Priyanti and the older brother of the Mayor of Tegal, the period 2008-2013 Ikmal Jaya.

In the 2020 Pilkada, Mukti Agung outperformed the pair M. Agus Sukoco-Eko Priyono who was promoted by PDIP, Golkar, Nasdem and PAN by 274,437 votes. In his first speech, after being sworn in on February 21, 2021, Mukti promised to continue the leadership relay of the previous pair and focus on improving and recovering the economy and agriculture.

Mukti Agung even promised not to take a penny from his salary as regent because it would be given to the community. This is done as an effort to ease the burden on people who have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is a movement of my concern, to ease the burden on the community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Mukti Agung, who was still wearing a white suit, quoted by VOI from the Pemalang Journal Youtube channel.

In the OTT held by the KPK, Mukti was arrested along with 23 other people, according to a source in a written statement received on Thursday, August 11. Currently, the examination of dozens of people is being carried out. "Checked on the 2nd floor of the Merah Putih building."

Previously, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo emphasized that the Corruption Eradication Commission's (OTT) operation to arrest Pemalang Regent Mukti Agung Wibowo was a warning to regional heads to stop all forms of corruption.

"I have actually reminded my friends (the regional heads in Central Java Province) many times and of course I will wait for the developments," said Ganjar in Semarang as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 11.

According to Ganjar, communication in an effort to warn regional heads in Central Java Province not to be involved in corruption has been carried out intensely, especially since the Central Java Provincial Government has long cooperated with the KPK in preventing corruption.

"I always remind him because in fact our cooperation with law enforcement, with the KPK has been too frequent," he said.

Ganjar revealed that the KPK in each of its activities in Central Java does not only carry out socialization and education in eradicating corruption, but also includes warnings or codes that regional heads must pay attention to. The emphasis, Ganjar continued, is self-control in each individual head of the region.

"Be careful, yes, in Central Java, there are things like buying and selling positions, there are people in Central Java who are playing projects, there are people who are like this which are considered evil. Now, at that time we have to exercise self-control," he said.