Letter To Jokowi To Handle Saving The KPK From The TWK Polemic, PGI Is Advised To Pray

Illustration-KPK Building (Photo: DOK VOI)

JAKARTA - Several groups, such as anti-corruption activists and religious groups, have commented on the dismissal of 51 employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which was considered a form of weakening the KPK institution.

One of them, from the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI). PGI asked President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to take part in addressing the chaos that occurred within the KPK.

Pelita Harapan University communication observer Emrus Sihombing suggested that the general chairman of the PGI Gomar Gultom conduct more in-depth research on the discourse on the weakening of the KPK before giving his views.

"I recommend that my friends at PGI conduct research on the behavior of KPK employees. For example, there is a case of theft of evidence that was allegedly stolen by an unscrupulous KPK employee," Emrus told reporters, Sunday, May 30.

"Before giving a statement in the public sphere, a more in-depth study should be carried out so that there is no impression of siding with one group," he added.

Emrus agreed that there should be no weakening of the KPK from any party because the issue of corruption is still a national problem at every level and in all fields. However, he emphasized, the national insight test is a law mandate.

Therefore, Emrus considers that TWK is part of strengthening the KPK institution.

"Our benchmark is in strengthening the KPK when it is carried out in accordance with the law. Is the national insight test an order from the law or not. If it is a law order, it means strengthening, not weakening," said Emrus.

As for the TWK, there are those who pass and those who don't, said Emrus, that is a consequence. "Not only 51 people who did not pass TWK, while more than a thousand people passed," he said.

According to him, when compared quantitatively, this number is not significant when viewed from the statistical figures between the losers and the winners, and the proportion is only how many percent do not qualify.

"So if there are parties who say that the TWK did not pass to a number of employees as part of weakening the KPK, that statement is very baseless. Groups who think like that seem to have been drugged by communication messages that appear on the surface and need to be enlightened," said Emrus.

In fact, said Emrus, as a respectable religious institution, PGI is advised to take this issue more into prayer.

"It's like praying that God will give strength to the KPK so that it can perform better in dealing with corruption cases in Indonesia," he concluded.

Previously, the general chairman of PGI Gomar Gultom also commented on the case of 51 employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) who were dismissed from their duties because they failed to pass the national insight test (TWK) which continued to reap pros and cons in the public sphere.

He said he would write to President Jokowi to take action regarding the matter. This needs to be done considering that there have been efforts to weaken the anti-corruption agency following the KPK leadership's decision to fire 51 of the 75 employees who did not pass the TWK.

"We are very concerned about the efforts to weaken the KPK that have occurred so far, especially those that have culminated in the labeling of intolerance and radicalism of 75 KPK employees through the National Insight Test (TWK) mechanism recently," Gomar said in a statement, Friday, May 28.