Observer: Corruption in Indonesia Never Ends as Long as the Law Still Cuts

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION/Tingey Injury Law Firm

JAKARTA - Legal and political observer, Pieter C Zulkifli, said corruption is still the biggest challenge in the journey of democracy and law enforcement in Indonesia.

According to him, despite various regulations, institutions, and eradication strategies that have been built for years, the practice of abuse of authority continues to recur with almost the same pattern.

Pieter assessed that this condition raises fundamental questions about the true extent of the seriousness of the state in fighting corruption. He stated that corruption has never really been defeated in this country as long as the law of the jungle and governance are left fragile, the change of regime only changes the face, not the problem.

"THE PRICE of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men, the sentence of the Greek philosopher Plato feels more relevant when corruption in Indonesia continues to exist from one regime to the next," said Pieter Zulkifli in his statement, Saturday, August 1.

"Governments change, slogans for eradicating corruption change, institutions are strengthened and then weakened, but news about hand-in-hand operations, project bribes, job trading, judicial mafia, to the misuse of the budget remain public consumption almost every week," he continued.

According to Pieter, the question that should be asked is no longer why corruption occurs, but why the country seems to never be able to stop it. "Isn't Indonesia already having so many legal instruments, law enforcement agencies, supervisory institutions, to large budgets to eradicate corruption? If all instruments are available, why have the results never been really satisfactory?" he said.

Pieter Zulkifli revealed that so far, the success of eradicating corruption has often been measured by the number of suspects arrested, the amount of state losses that have been saved, or the number of hand-to-hand operations carried out. These measurements are important, but in fact are still at the downstream stage.

He said that the prevention approach is actually not a new idea. The National Corruption Prevention Strategy (Stranas PK) has a clear foundation through Presidential Regulation Number 54 of 2018. This policy focuses on improving the licensing and trade sector, state finances, and bureaucratic reform.

On the other hand, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has developed the 'Trisula' approach, namely anti-corruption education, systemic prevention, and legal action that run in an integrated manner.

At the regional level, he said, governance strengthening was also encouraged through the Monitoring, Controlling, Surveillance for Prevention (MCSP) instrument to measure the level of integrity and effectiveness of government administration. All of these instruments show that Indonesia actually has a large design for preventing corruption.

"The main challenge is no longer a lack of regulation, but rather the consistency of implementation and the example of state organizers," he said.

Pieter Zulkifli said corruption in Indonesia is not merely a matter of individual morality, but has developed into a systemic disease.

For him, the governance of the government at the district, city, provincial, and even central levels still leaves so many loopholes for abuse of authority. Regulations often overlap, supervision is weak, bureaucracy is convoluted, while accountability has not become a deeply rooted culture.

"As a result, the mistakes in the actual governance that have been known to the public have been left for years. Various audit reports, internal supervisory findings, and public criticism often stop as administrative documents without real improvements. The state seems to be more busy managing the consequences than correcting the causes," he said.

Therefore, Pieter Zulkifli emphasized that the corruption prevention strategy must be placed as the main foundation in building a clean, transparent, and accountable government.

He emphasized that corruption not only causes financial losses to the state, but also damages the quality of public services, hinders the effectiveness of development, and erodes public confidence in state institutions.

According to him, prevention efforts must be carried out systematically through strengthening the integrity of state apparatus, the formation of an organizational culture that upholds ethics, and the example of all elite state organizers and law enforcement officers. More worrying is when law enforcement arbitrariness is still often in the spotlight.

"The law is ideally a tool for justice, not a tool for power," he added.

When people see different treatment of similar cases, said Pieter, the impression arises that the law is not completely free from the influence of interests. Perceptions like this are very dangerous because they slowly erode public trust in state institutions.

"In this context, the state must no longer give room for the practice of case engineering (by design) or case orders that aim to lower the dignity of an individual or corporation in the name of law enforcement. Law enforcement influenced by political interests and oligarchy will only create legal uncertainty and damage the principle of equality before the law," he said.

In addition to that, Pieter Zulkifli believes that the impact is much greater than just the birth of an unfair verdict. Law enforcement that loses integrity can destroy public trust, create fear among business actors, weaken the national investment climate, and ultimately hinder economic growth.

"It is unfair if all law enforcement officers are generalized. In the Attorney General's Office, the Police, and the judicial institutions, there are still many figures who work with high integrity, professionalism, and courage to maintain the prestige of the institution. They are the greatest assets of the nation," he said.

The question is, added Pieter, figures like this do not always get enough space to lead change.

On various occasions, it is believed that they are often eliminated from strategic positions or lost by interests that are more political and transactional.

"If this perception continues to be allowed without proof through a transparent and merit-based promotion system, then the organization will lose the most needed example," he added.

The former Chairman of Commission III of the DPR emphasized that all law enforcement institutions, the National Police, the Prosecutor's Office, and the Supreme Court (MA) must obey and obey the mandate of the constitution. Professionalism, independence, and adherence to professional ethics are not merely moral demands, but the main requirement for the establishment of the rule of law.

In addition, continued Pieter, every law enforcement officer is obliged to carry out their duties, roles, and functions professionally, without being biased to anyone except for truth and justice. A dignified attitude and behavior are the foundation for the creation of political stability, legal certainty, and increased public confidence in the state.

On the other hand, corruption will never really be reduced if the state does not really educate the nation's life. The mandate of the constitution is not merely to expand access to education, but also to build critical citizens, legal literate, ethical, and brave to supervise power.

"Anti-corruption education is not enough to be a formal subject, but must be reflected in the example of leaders, bureaucratic culture, and daily political life," he said.

Pieter Zulkifli then quoted former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan who once said 'Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by diverting funds intended for development'.

"Corruption is ultimately not just about money that the state loses. It undermines the quality of education, worsens health services, slows down infrastructure development, and widens social gaps. Corruption is actually stealing the future of the people," he said.

Therefore, Pieter Zulkifli said that the agenda to eradicate corruption must not stop at enforcement. The state must dare to build a system that makes corruption more difficult to do. Bureaucratic reform must be truly based on competence and merit, not closeness. Recruitment and promotion of public officials must be transparent.

Then, internal supervision needs to be strengthened with technology and data openness. Law enforcement must be consistent without distinguishing positions, powers, or political affiliations. At the same time, said Pieter, protection for integrity officers and whistleblowers of alleged corruption needs to be a priority so that courage does not end up being a personal loss.

"The country does not lack strategies to eradicate corruption. What is still rare is the courage to enforce it consistently, without compromise and without favoritism," he said.

Not only that, he stated that a developed country is not only measured by high economic growth or the grandeur of infrastructure development, but also by its loyalty to consistently implement the constitution. When the law is enforced without discrimination, integrity becomes a culture, and public interests are placed above the interests of groups, then the investment climate will grow healthier.

"Legal certainty that is born from professional and ethical officials will be an important capital for the sustainable growth of the national economy," he said.

Pieter emphasized that the measure of a government's success in eradicating corruption is not the number of officials who are imprisoned, but the least space for corruption to grow. A strong state is not the state that most often arrests corruptors, but the state that is able to build governance so that corruption becomes an exception, not a habit.

"When integrity becomes a culture, the law is enforced fairly, and the best people are given the opportunity to lead, that's when the country really shows that it's not just fighting corruption, but has learned to no longer coexist with it," he said.