Trust is the most valuable currency in business. Once betrayed, its value is not easily restored. This is what is currently happening to Pertamina.
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has just uncovered a major scandal that has eroded public trust. PT Pertamina Patra Niaga is suspected of adulterating fuel by blending Pertalite (RON 90) with Pertamax (RON 92), then selling it at a higher price. The state is said to have lost up to IDR 193.7 trillion, but more tragically, the public has become the victims of systematic deception that has destroyed trust in the state-owned company.
The Director of Investigation for the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Abdul Qohar, revealed that this scheme involved importing lower-quality crude oil. This oil was processed and sold as Pertamax without the proper quality improvements. Furthermore, price markups, manipulation of delivery contracts, and the involvement of parties involved in fuel distribution exacerbated this scandal.
If this practice is indeed ongoing, it means the public has been lied to for a long time. How many have paid more for poor-quality fuel? How long have we been deceived without realizing it? This isn't just a numbers game, but a crime that compromises public trust.
Many consumers choose Pertamax not because they can afford it, but because they feel they don't deserve subsidized fuel. They want to follow the rules and avoid harming the country. However, this scandal demonstrates that their good intentions have been abused. They pay more for what is essentially just Pertalite packaged as Pertamax.
Fahmy Radhi, an energy observer from Gadjah Mada University, emphasized that this is not just an ethical violation, but a form of systematic consumer rights theft. People who have always complied are the biggest victims. They are deceived by high prices, even though the fuel quality is lower than expected.
Complaints flooded social media. Vehicle users felt their engines were wearing out more quickly, fuel consumption was higher, and vehicle performance was declining. They wondered, since when have they been paying so much for adulterated fuel? Since when have they been deceived by brands they should have trusted?
Adulterated gasoline isn't just a price issue. Engines become heavy, emissions increase, and the risk of knocking increases. For vehicle owners, this means soaring maintenance costs. This scandal not only directly robs the public of their money but also costs them more to repair vehicles that should be safe to use.
Pertamina Patra Niaga Corporate Secretary, Heppy Wulansari, emphasized that the quality of Pertamax meets government specifications. But does the public still trust them? This isn't the first time the public has been betrayed, especially when the board of directors is involved.
Betrayed trust is difficult to repair. And in this case, the public has already swallowed enough lies.
Calls have emerged for the public to sue Pertamina through a class action. The National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) and several members of the House of Representatives (DPR) support this move. If Pertamina is proven guilty, they must compensate the people who have been deceived.
The government must also act quickly to tighten oversight of fuel and LPG distribution. This scandal must not end simply with the naming of suspects. All parties involved, from the highest to the lowest levels, must be held accountable. Without appropriate punishment, similar scandals could recur.
This fuel adulteration scandal is not just about trillions of rupiah. It is a betrayal of the people, an affront to public trust.
Now, the decision is in the hands of the people. Will they remain silent and let this scandal pass? Or will they demand justice by suing those who have violated their rights and violated public trust?
This betrayal cannot be tolerated. Broken trust must be redeemed, and justice must be upheld. This is not just a fuel issue, but an issue of people's rights that must not be trampled upon. And a similar case like this is not the first. The previous case, of course, involved 109 tons of counterfeit Antam gold, which also implicated Antam officials. President Prabowo Subianto must act. Restore people's trust.
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