Polemic Of KPK Senior Investigators Novel Baswedan Et Al, JK: Just By The Rules

Jusuf Kalla (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2014–2019 and 2004–2009 periods Jusuf Kalla asked that the national insight test (TWK) conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on employees must comply with the rules.

"Yes, just according to the rules," said Jusuf Kalla when being interviewed after inaugurating the Honorary Board and Management of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Bengkulu Province 2021-2026, in Bengkulu, reported by Antara, Friday, May 28.

JK, his nickname, did not comment more about the implementation of TWK at the KPK which made 75 employees declared ineligible, where 51 people who had red scores were dismissed and 24 others were re-trained in their nationalism and national defense.

The rest, JK immediately got into the car to attend a number of other angenda in Bengkulu.

Meanwhile, Director of the Bengkulu Center for Anti-Corruption Studies (Puskaki) Melyansori regretted the KPK leadership's decision to expel 51 of its employees because they did not qualify for the TWK.

Moreover, he said, many of the 51 people were key figures who had played a role in uncovering major corruption cases, such as Novel Baswedan, who had become a senior investigator at the KPK.

"We really regret the existence of the national insight test. We suspect that the test is part of an effort to weaken the KPK by eliminating potential people," he explained.

According to him, the dismissal of 51 KPK employees would weaken the KPK's position in eradicating corruption, especially in cases that are currently underway.

Melyansori asked the KPK leadership to cancel the TWK results and reactivate the employees who did not pass and would be dismissed.

"It should be canceled. They have been at the KPK for a long time, it has been a dozen years and it was very unfair when they were dismissed because they did not pass the test. Just this trickery," he said.

Previously, the KPK held a coordination meeting to discuss the fate of the 75 employees together with the State Civil Service Agency, the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the State Civil Apparatus Commission, and the State Administration Agency. Also attending were the assessors in TWK.

The results of the coordination meeting at the BKN Building, it was decided that 24 out of 75 employees could still be coached before being appointed as ASN, while the remaining 51 employees did not allow them to be coached based on assessors' assessment.

The 51 employees are said to be still at the KPK until November 2021, even though at this time their status is no longer active and will subsequently be dismissed.

KPK Deputy Chairman Nurul Ghufron said he would submit a report to President Joko Widodo regarding the leadership's final decision regarding the fate of 75 employees who did not pass TWK.

President Jokowi himself emphasized that the TWK results cannot be the basis for the dismissal of 75 KPK employees.

"The results of the National Insights Test for KPK employees should be used as input for KPK improvement steps, both for individuals and for KPK institutions and not necessarily used as a basis for dismissing 75 KPK employees who have not passed the test," said President Jokowi through the "channel. "Presidential Secretariat Youtube on Monday, 17 May.