Riding the reforms’ wave: the Indonesian experience of combating corruption

Speaker:
Mochammad Jasin
Commissioner, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Republic of Indonesia

Abstract:
The Corruption Eradication Commission, known as the Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) started its operations in 2004, roughly two years after Law No. 30 of 2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission was passed by the Indonesian Parliament. This law is perhaps the peak of Indonesia's reform spirit after Suharto's New Order regime imploded during the 1998 Asian Economic Crisis. The KPK's experiences for the next five years after it opened its doors to public complaints of corrupt activities by public officials, which it investigates and prosecutes, exemplifies the unique characteristics of the Indonesian terrain in the context of fighting corruption.

The Indonesian public has closely scrutinised the KPK's achievements throughout the last five years, and various characteristics of the Indonesian fight against corruption with the KPK at the helm have surfaced. It is undeniable that under the KPK's leadership, the fight against corruption in Indonesia made achievements beyond what has ever been achieved before. This fact has not mitigated the public's very high expectations of the KPK's performance. For example, the public is disappointed that a law enforcement institution equipped with the powers of the KPK has not been able to bring to justice the worst perpetrators of corruption during the New Order era. The interplay between law enforcement and politics generally has also attracted deep discussion in public fora; for instance, the KPK's high achievements and continuing success have goaded corrupt blocs into fighting back, and they do this through seemingly legitimate channels, such as citing human rights abuses in the way the KPK and the Court of Corruption Crimes handle their cases, or by masking corrupt activities by using complicated financial transactions. In this arena where complexity only continues to rise, the strategies that have been prepared by the KPK in order to keep one step ahead of corrupt criminals will be discussed.