Open Voice About TWK, Mahfud MD: I'm Pro KPK But Decisions Are Not Only In The Government

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD (Documentation: Kemenko Polhukam)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD finally spoke about the National Insight Test Assessment (TWK) which resulted in the inactivation of 75 employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) who were declared unsuccessful.

In the 'Dialogue of the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security: Development of the Actual Political, Legal, and Security Situation' which was broadcast on Gadjah Mada University YouTube, Mahfud said he was one of the people who supported the KPK. However, right now he couldn't do much.

"If you ask me, I have always been pro-KPK. Since the beginning," Mahfud was quoted as saying on Monday, June 7.

He then said that the weakening of the KPK has often occurred, especially through the law and this was experienced by himself when he served as Chairman of the Constitutional Court (MK).

"How many times have I been the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, 12 times (KPK, ed) wanted to be overthrown by law, I continued to win the KPK," he said.

Even so, Mahfud now admits that he can't do much as the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security and part of the government related to the TWK polemic. This is because the decision to deactivate and fire 51 of the 75 employees who are declared not to have passed the employee status transfer test is not only the government's decision but also the decision of many parties.

"Decisions about the KPK are not only in the government. There is the DPR, there are parties, there is civil society that is broken as well. This civil society will break up," he said.

He also mentioned that the employees who were removed, including KPK investigator Novel Baswedan, were good people. Moreover, he has quite a relationship with Novel since he served as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.

It's just that those who are considered good do not necessarily get the same assessment from others. In fact, he mentioned the assumption from a number of parties that Novel Baswedan was political.

"Many people think that Baswedan's novel is political. If certain party members are left alone, there have been reports that they have been shot by these parties, for example. There are people who say that," he said, imitating the public voice he heard.

However, he emphasized that he still supports the KPK. In fact, he said, the purpose of his dialogue at that time was to hear input from academics regarding the best steps for the anti-corruption commission in the future.

"I support the KPK to be strong. It's just a matter of how we strengthen it," said Mahfud.

"If we want democracy, that's how it is. Democracy now has an oligarchic elite, the bottom is wild. The elite is oligarchic, the people are wild. There is no al madinah al fadilah, a perfect country," he concluded.