ICW: It's Not Right If KASN Is Disbanded

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Almas Sjafrina (Antara/Dyah Dwi Astuti)

JAKARTA - Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said the discourse on the disbandment of the State Civil Apparatus Commission (KASN) was inappropriate because the institution was deemed necessary to strengthen its function to keep ASN clean from politicization so that the merit system would continue.

"The role does exist in the ASN Commission, so it is not appropriate if KASN is disbanded. Instead, what is needed is strengthening its function," said ICW Bureaucratic Public Service and Bureaucratic Reform Coordinator Almas Ghaliya Putri Sjafrina as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 26.

Almas said KASN is very much needed in its current conditions because problems within ASN are still there, such as related to duties, principal, and functions (tupoksi); code of ethics; neutrality; and politicization, especially in political years.

"So, we are in a condition where KASN is very much needed," he said.

Potential violations of integrity, continued Almas, do not only occur in the political year. Violation of integrity can occur in daily activities, such as bribery for promotion of career path or buying and selling positions.

"There are so many violations, such as the Pangandaran case and violations in the election, only one of them," he said.

Therefore, Almas encourages the plan to remove KASN not to be carried out.

"If removed, it becomes a big question for the government, what is the option to strengthen the supervision of ASN in the future? Because it is not enough just to give that authority to the Personnel Guidance Officer (PPK), both at the central and regional levels. There still needs to be a supervisory function," added Almas.

Almas said strengthening the function of KASN also requires coordination with other parties.

"KasN is only at the center, so it is necessary to integrate the work and role of the better regional government (local government)," he added.

The plan to dissolve KASN surfaced at the Commission II Working Meeting of the DPR with the Minister of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the Minister of Law and Human Rights, Tuesday, September 26.

At Level I Talks On Decision Making Related To The Draft Law On Amendments To Law Number 5 of 2014 concerning State Civil Apparatus, all factions agreed that KASN was removed in the ASN Draft Law (RUU).

Member of Commission II of the DPR from the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction Ibnu Mahmud Bilalludin said the PAN faction had a number of reasons to dissolve KASN, including President Joko Widodo's legal politics regarding the downsizing or dissolution of state institutions.

"Until now, in our records, a total of 53 state institutions have been disbanded," he said, quoted from the same written statement.