By : Iswar Riyadi *)
“Early planting honesty and shame in corruption is a key element in building the nation”
Recently, Commission of corruption Eradication (KPK) re-investigate cases of corruption involving some key figures. For example, the social aid fund corruption allegedly committed by former North Sumatra Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho and his wife. From here, we can see that corruption has hurt a lot of people because the funds which should be the right of the people actually abused for personal gain.
Before discussing the corruption, let’s we see the meaning of corruption. Referring to the Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), corruption is defined as “misappropriation or embezzlement of state funds or companies, and so on for personal purposes”. While in Law No. 20 of 2001 on the Amendment of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption, corruption is defined as “the act of breaking the law with a view to enrich themselves, others, or the corporation resulting financial harm the state or the economy of the State”.
Currently, corruption cases in Indonesia are still quite alarming, because there are so many corruption cases and there are so many policy makers involved in. The KPK’ s Director of the State Officials Wealth Report (LHKPN) Cahya Hardianto Harefa said that until June 2015, the Commission has handled 261 cases of corruption of state officials. The corruption cases involved as many as 81 members of the House of Representative (DPR), 14 governors, 48 regents/mayors, and 118 echelons.
Those number of corruption cases being handled by KPK have directed us to two conclusions, i.e. the KPK quite well in carrying out their duties and the fact that Indonesia still has the serious problem with corruption.
Not only that, the alarming condition of corruption in Indonesia is also indicated by the Indonesia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) submitted by Transparency International (TI). By a range from 0-100 (0 perceived as very corrupt, very clean 100), Indonesia had only been able to obtain 34 points in 2014, and was ranked 107 out of 175 countries. Actually, this acquisition has increased from the previous year, 32 points and ranks 114 out of 177 countries measured.
The high number of corruption cases in Indonesia is caused by many things. However, at least there are two influential factors, i.e. a low courage to say the truth and a lack culture of shame in corruption.
A fears to be honest was previously confirmed by the Coordinating Minister for maritime and Resources Rizal Ramli on last Sunday, December 13, 2015. He said that many Indonesian officials feared to say what is being a fact when they held public speaking. Thus, what they shown to the public was only to “make the Boss happy” and it was a beginning of a dishonesty culture.
Then, this dishonesty culture becomes a customary for someone to commit a fraud, one of which is corruption. If someone has been able to implement a culture of honesty, then they will not do corruption.
Therefore, what we need to do now is to change the culture of dishonesty into a culture of honest and courageous a culture of being shy in corruption. Of course, no party should be appointed to initiate this change because the change must be started from ourselves.
Planting the culture of honesty and shame of corruption can also be started from the family scope. If we are already married and have children, of course, we can teach our children to always tell the truth. Then, it will be the start point of culture of honesty to appear.
Corruption is an act of dishonesty. So, with the planting of culture of honesty automatically will not commit us to do this criminal act. Although, there are many factors that can lead people to engage in corruption, at least it will be one of the signs which remembering to stop us to not commit in crime.
There are so many corruption cases that have occurred in Indonesia and there is so much loss of the country. Of course, it can be imagined if there is not any without corruption our beloved country, so all construction will run smoothly and all Indonesian prosperity will increase. Therefore, if we still want Indonesia to get much higher CPI value, then start to dare to tell the truth and shame of corruption. The faster corruption cleaned, then the sooner developed nation happen. (IR)
*) Yunior Reseachcer at CIDISS