KPK: Whether To Corruption Or Not Is A Life Choice

KPK Visit to the Gerindra Party DPP Office in Jakarta (Photo: KPK Public Relations)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that acts of corruption were a conscious choice. To avoid this, everyone must strive to maintain personal integrity.

This was conveyed by the Director of Community Participation Development of the KPK Kumbul Kusdwijanto Sudjadi during an audience at the DPP office of the Gerindra Party and Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS).

To prevent criminal acts of corruption, the KPK has built an anti-corruption program.

"Anyone can do corruption, at any time they can do corruption. So corruption is a choice of life because people do corruption because of their beliefs. Whether they are corrupted or not, it's based on their beliefs. We are trying to build integrity to internalize people's beliefs not to be corrupt", he said Kumbul in his written statement, Thursday, April 15.

Kumbul explained that several things cause people to choose to do corruption, namely greed, opportunities, insatiable needs, laws that have not been enforced strongly, weak systems, and low integrity.

To strengthen integrity in the political field, the KPK asked parties in Indonesia to implement the Political Party Integrity System (SIPP). In the SIPP, the KPK asks parties to issue and implement ethical standards for parties and politicians by establishing a standardized recruitment system, a hierarchical and institutionalized cadre system, improving management and reporting of party funding, and building internal party democracy.

"As we have told other parties, we ask the Gerindra Party and PKS to commit to filling in the Tools of Assessment (ToA) in the Political Party Integrity System (SIPP). This is done by the party forming a team consisting of a minimum of five people who are assigned to fill out the ToA. We ask that one person from the team be appointed as a Liaison Officer (LO) to be the PIC who will communicate with us", said Kumbul.

Meanwhile, Deputy for Education and Community Participation, Wawan Wardiana, said that until now political parties are still perceived as corrupt institutions. KPK data shows that of all corruption perpetrators who have been prosecuted by the KPK, more than 50 percent are party cadres.

"The KPK, besides taking action against criminal acts of corruption, is currently also increasing efforts to prevent corruption and education against corruption, including in political parties. Therefore, we want the parties to implement a system of integrity in their respective parties. The hope is that parties have the same commitment as the KPK to implement an integrity system", said Wawan.

Responding to the KPK's request, Deputy Secretary-General of the Gerindra Party DPP Anwar Ende said that his party's internal management system had been relatively well implemented.

The Gerindra Party said Anwar, already has a code of ethics, including a recruitment and regeneration system, especially for legislative candidates through selection, who if they meet the requirements will be given training, including on anti-corruption.

The party bearing the Garuda symbol also emphasized that if a cadre was caught by the KPK for committing corruption, he was immediately expelled or asked to resign. Thus, he emphasized that his party is free of corruption.

"We have nothing to do with corrupt behavior", said Anwar.

Meanwhile, PKS Secretary-General Aboe Bakar Alhabsyi said that PKS has actually built an ethics school. He said that the spirit of PKS and KPK is actually the same, not much different.

However, he was still happy because the KPK wanted to go to his party's office to give an early warning.

"I think we really appreciate this SIPP. That's great. That pattern also exists in PKS. And, I am proud that the KPK has been proactive and expansive. Even though, perpendicularity is not easy. As a political party, we want party cadres to have integrity", he concluded.