Commitment To Eradicating Extortion Must Be Realized

Illustration of the eradication of extortion requires joint commitment, including from the community. (Between)

JAKARTA President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has committed to massively eradicating illegal levies (extortion) practices. This is evidenced by the establishment of a Illegal Sweeping Sweeping Task Force (Satgas Saber Pungli) on October 21, 2016.

In fact, Jokowi gave instructions to the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs at that time, Wiranto as the controller of Saber Pungli so that the eradication of extortion not only focused on public services, but also targeted government institutions, including law enforcement institutions.

In its considerations, as stated in the Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 87 of 2016 concerning the Illegal Sweeping Sweeping Task Force, the President considers the practice of extortion to have damaged the joints of life of society, nation and state so that strict, integrated, effective, and able to create a deterrent effect.

However, although the crackdown continues, the reality is that extortion practices are still found. Most recently there was a case of alleged extortion experienced by Husein Ali Rafsanjani (27), a teacher in Pangandaran Regency, West Java. It happened when he attended the Basic Training of Civil Servant Candidates (Latsar CPNS) in 2020.

The activity was based on a letter of assignment received, according to Husein, had been financed by the state. However, in practice there are still additional costs charged to the participants. The activity committee asked for Rp270,000 as transportation money.

"What irritated him was that he didn't join the group (had to pay). If I took a motorbike, from Pangandaran to Bandung. There were also people who couldn't come because they were pregnant or sick, they were also told to pay. So, for me, just annoyed," Husein said in a video on his Tiktok account @husein_ar uploaded on May 9, 2023.

Not only that, the committee also again asked for Rp350,000 during the activity. Husein admitted that he objected, especially at that time his salary as a CPNS had not been paid for three months.

"It's really not paid yet, he said. Yes, that's it. But, it's really tough," explained Husein.

Husein and a number of his colleagues then made a report via reported.go.id. Instead of getting a solution to his report, he admitted that he was intimidated.

"I was called to face the Pangandaran BKSDM office. There were 12 people. When expressing opinions, there is a 'don't be good', just follow it', don't ask many questions'. Finally, there are words that say that I report websites and so on, can slander the name of the agency and I am threatened with being fired," he said.

He was not afraid, and instead asked for the letter of dismissal to be immediately given. However, Husein said, "A year I waited for the letter of dismissal not to come out, I decided to resign."

Responding to the polemic, the Governor of West Java, Ridwan Kamil, has asked for a complete explanation from both parties, both from the Pangandaran and Husein BKSDM.

He has also assigned the West Java Inspectorate and Saber Extortion team to conduct an in-depth search and provide recommendations to temporarily suspend the Head of the Human Resources Development Personnel Agency (BKPSDM) of Pangandaran Regency, Dani Hamdani.

"Later, if proven, there will be a sanction route according to the law, if it is not proven to be reconciled with a solution. The solution is up to the most comfortable for all parties," said Emil in Bandung on May 11, 2023.

It is undeniable that eradicating extortion is not an easy matter. Because, there are many things that make extortion practices thrive, as written in the article 'Legal Charges (Pungli) in the Perspective of Corruption Crimes', Paraikate Magazine, Edition Quarter III, Volume 26, 2016, namely:

Currently, there are actually many complaint channels that can be accessed by the public to report extortion, starting from the complaint channel of the organizing agency, internal supervisor, external supervisor (Ombudsman and DPR/DPRD), and can even report to the Saber Extortion Task Force.

It's just that there must be a commitment that every report accompanied by strong evidence will be followed up. Also, there must be a guarantee for the reporter. Without it, the public or people who experience extortion are definitely reluctant to report.

The Indonesian Survey Institute in 2021 conducted a survey of 1,201 ASN regarding the possibility to report any fraud or corruption. As a result, there are still 23.8 percent who are reluctant to report on the grounds of fear of getting into trouble, the reporting process that is convoluted, and pessimistic that the report will not be followed up.

Extortion can be eradicated with a record of shared commitment. The community must also take part as an effort to correct the performance of officials. Thus, President Jokowi's commitment to eradicating extortion can be effective.