While pornography may disturb one person’s mentality, corruption can lead to the destruction of the whole system. Pornography violates only a sexual taboo, while corruption causes damage to the nation’s morality.

Well, this can be answered simply. Pornography is much simpler than corruption, although both cannot be avoided by party leaders. Arifinto was indeed alone in watching the video, whereas Misbakhun must have worked with a “team”.

Corruption often involves various agents working together as a team. Melinda Dee, who is accused of embezzling millions of dollars from the Citibank where she worked, was never alone. Investigations have so far found that she had a network and teammates.

If Misbakhun was forced to resign, it would cost only his political career for a moment. The faces of other members of the party — who also have likely ever taken pleasure in watching porn (in fact, in many meetings that have taken place in various hotels parliament members may have watched porn movies) — can be saved.

The public is again deceived with the hope that the case is simply dismissed due to the resignation of the wrongdoer, who publicly repented by evoking God’s name.

In this vein, religion plays its part in politics. It is a salvation for both the politician and the party.

Arifinto’s sins, and his party’s damaged name, are washed. End of story.

Indeed, pornography is the only safe haven where the PKS can harbor, as the image of the “clean” party as a political brand has been marred by various allegations of corruption in the elite body of the party.

Yusuf Supendi’s accusation of some PKS elites, e.g. Lutfi Hassan Ishaq, Anis Matta, Hilmy Aminuddin having been involved in various scandals, is a case in point.

True, the PKS has been outspoken in imposing the pornography bill. This party is also an ardent supporter of imposing the code ethic of the members of the parliament.

Back to the main story. As Arifinto announced his own resignation from the House of Representatives, the party attempted to transform the image of Arifinto from a taboo breaker into a hero.

In response to this, Anis Baswedan, a young Indonesian intellectual, questioned that “there is no justification when the one who should be punished can become a hero”.

It is true that resignation is very rare in the Indonesian political stage. Neither Nurdin Halid, the PSSI’s (Indonesian Soccer Association) embattled leader nor Misbakhun ever declare their own resignation.

The PKS leaders, on the other hand, want to show the step taken by Arifinto as an example. However, Baswedan is skeptical and put it that “in the case of Arifinto nothing is extraordinary. Let him resign, when necessary pressure should be given to force him to resign”.

To be clear, the PKS did double naiveties. Its member broke the highest taboo that the party itself has set and the wrongdoer is claimed to be a hero.

Of course politicians want to stick on the “fake morality” which is easily defended rather than holding the true morality, consisting of integrity and honesty, which is hard to stand for. Morality based merely on pornography is phony, as this can be twisted easily.

The websites containing of pornographic material can be easily blocked, as Tifatul Sembiring is ready to die for it.

On the other hand, political integrity and honesty is a broad concept, one of whose manifestation is a combat against corruption — a struggle that is still a long way to go in this country.

The PKS has so far built the image as a clean political party, by which its politicians claimed the party’s distinguished characters from those of other parties.

However, the image has recently been tainted by corruption allegation scandals in the PKS elites.

In this vein, there is a shifting notion in the meaning of “cleanness.” Cleanness from corruption seems hard to maintain, whereas cleanness from pornography can easily be manipulated.

The PKS has already chosen its path. Yes, the PKS politicians, like some of us, can still watch porn movies or images, but only Arifinto receive disciplinary sanction. That is enough for the sake of public’s scrutiny.

Do not blame the PKS politicians too much, as the attitude adopted by them mirrors our own characters
as a nation.

Morality for some of us is interpreted only as a compensation for some pleasures, such as pornography, alcoholic beverage, or sexual affairs, which we give up in the public. Morality often refers to the old definition found in religious dogma, which has no relation to the current reality.

We are lenient with violence to true morality, such as corruption, massacre, oppression, abuse of power, and other crimes, which cause destruction to the nation.

Fake morality is much simpler to be understood and easier to be implemented than the true one.
Yes, the plan of building parliament’s house, which will cost

Rp 1.13 trillion (US$130 million), will receive the public’s attention, and be remembered, much less than the case of Arifinto.

The writer is a lecturer at the Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Yogyakarta.

Popular

To my horror, it’s just a movie!

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Pentagon chief congratulates Prabowo on being elected President