The atmosphere of heightened tension between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the National Police in Jakarta has affected Indonesian people. Support for the efforts to eradicate corruption is continuing to pour in from people in various professions: from public officials to activists, and academics to garbage collectors.
All criticism is directed toward the National Police, it cannot harm the credibility of the country’s central law enforcement agency. The police are doing that job far better and more effectively than anyone else in destroying its reputation.
The late night visit by a number of officers to the headquarters of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Friday, 5 October 2012 was the latest in a series of clear displays of arrogance and an exercise in raw intimidation. We seem to be getting a lot of that lately.
Police claim they were seeking to apprehend Novel Baswedan, a police officer seconded to the KPK, in connection with a crime he allegedly committed eight years ago as a junior officer in Bengkulu. Whether or not there is any truth in the allegation against Novel is irrelevant. Police arrived for Novel only hours after he led a KPK team to investigate Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo, who is a suspect in a corruption scandal within the National Police. Djoko, who has been accused of taking massive kickbacks from the procurement of driving simulators when he headed the National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) in 2010, had twice defied KPK summons before he finally showed up for questioning on Friday.
Police failed to detain Novel as hundreds of civilians, activists and other prominent figures flocked to the KPK headquarters and defended him. Novel, who is leading the KPK investigation team on the driving simulator case, is one of five KPK investigators who have rejected the National Police’s order to leave the antigraft body and return to the police, their original institution.
The other problem comes when The House's Commission III overseeing legal and human rights affairs recently proposed the draft revision of the KPK law to the House's Legislation Body (Baleg) to be included in the 2012/2013 national legislation program (Prolegnas), a move that has been widely criticized as the revision comprised changes that would weaken the KPK's authority. Some changes include restricting the KPK's authority to wiretap phone conversations and abolishing of the KPK's prosecution authority
Their slogan “Save the KPK, Save Indonesia” became a rallying cry on Twitter and Facebook. No one is suggesting disbanding the police, but President Yudhoyono should seriously consider replacing the leadership before the public loses complete trust in the institution.
In Yogyakarta, Universitas Gadjah Mada rector Pratikno, the college professors, lecturers and students signed a petition on a white cloth to express their support for the embattled antigraft commission. UGM rector Pratikno said during a declaration of support in Yogyakarta that the President should order the National Police to hand over the driving simulator graft case to the KPK.
After all that criticism President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has finally announced that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) should be the only law enforcement agency to handle the National Police driving simulator procurement graft case. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also said that discussions regarding the revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law were not needed at the moment.
Well, we all know that Indonesia's condition isn't in a good condition. But the condition will never be changed if we don't do anything to change it. Vox populi, vox dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God), let everyone knows that we do care about our nation. Like Benjamin Franklin said, "Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle"
Save KPK!
Save Indonesia!
