A veteran passport scalper in Jakarta burst into laughter upon hearing the news on Thursday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had instructed his top ministers to find out how Gayus H. Tambunan, a defendant in a tax-fraud case, could have flown abroad with help from the state despite his detention.
For the scalper, it was ridiculous that the President should establish an inter-ministerial team just to find those responsible for the issuance of the passport.
“It is very easy to trace the culprits. I am ready to bet on it,” said the man, who holds the official title of “immigration agent” at an immigration office in Jakarta.
But his basic instinct as a professional emerged. “How much would I be paid for that special service?” he said when asked to explain his bombastic claim.
I don’t know whether the House of Representatives would summon the President if he agreed to hire the scalper to act as his private investigator to reveal who should be punished for the wrongdoing. The scalper said he even dared to give a money-back guarantee.
Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar shamelessly defended the immigration office, which is under his auspices, in connection with the passport saga. He was also very quick to claim that officials at a prison in Bojonegoro, East Java, had nothing to do with a very factual report that a corruption convict had hired someone else to serve her prison term for a fee of Rp 10 million (US$1,100).
Gayus was a very junior tax officer but his massive tax corruption scandal has stirred panic among many senior politicians, businessmen, police generals, prosecutors and judges.
Even illiterate Indonesians cannot be cheated by the attempts of several institutions to cover up the case, and have described Gayus’ case as exceptional. When a junior official like Gayus is able to extort money from big companies, would you believe that he just acted alone in the scam? Come on.
Just read the official announcement by the Directorate General of Taxation which appeared a few times in this newspaper. If you do not feel that the announcement is not funny then you should consult your doctor, because something is wrong with you. (Hopefully the office will not stop publishing their ads in this newspaper just because of this small column).
“It seems there are still some members of the public who do not understand the tax collection process and the use of revenue generated by taxation… All money collected thorough taxation go the state treasury account and is posted as state revenue in the State Budget.”
Millions of Indonesians, including those who boasted they were ready to sacrifice their lives for his second term re-election in the 2009 election, are now at a loss over the President’s leadership.
Yudhoyono’s landslide victory was a strong mandate from the people for him to clean up our messy state of corruption. They realized that corruption was so rampant in this country that even religious leaders often avoided raising the issue in their public sermons. But they wanted him to build on his achievements in his 2004-2009’s term.
But it seems the President has no guts at all to dismiss problematic officials like Minister Patrialis.
Alleged corruption, bribery and extortion are so evident (according to public perception) at several government offices, like the National Police, Attorney General’s Office, the Finance Ministry and even the Religious Affairs Ministry, but the President still insists on allowing the internal mechanism in the offices to settle these mega crimes.
Yudhoyono knows very well that millions of Indonesians have high expectations for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) because of its impressive record. But now many of them cannot understand why their President does not stop blatant and effective attempts by our political elites to “castrate” the highly respected institution.
Just look at the chaotic traffic in Jakarta. It is not just the result of infrastructure problems. People act of their own will on the streets because they have no respect for the state. They see a clear example of lawlessness in this country. Why should I obey the rules when our own leaders who are assigned by the state to set an example for us as law-abiding citizens take the law into their own hands?
The President has apparently felt very satisfied with his re-election. He forgets he still has the constitutional obligations to lead the country until October 2014. Are we to believe that he has already undertaken very early retirement?
People around the President now are busy preparing for their own future by accumulating their own wealth and power. They have locked the President in a golden cage.
If I may suggest, Mr. President: Leave your cage, live with us your own people. We are desperate for your leadership. While from far away the corrupt and their accomplices yell: Long live the President!
