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AKARTA: Former justice and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra criticized the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for planning to collect public donations to build a new office building.

“The KPK is a state institution, not a private one. All state institutions’ financing is provided by the state budget,” Yusril said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Yusril added that a public-funding mechanism would harm the state’s system.

“What if the TNI [Indonesian Military] initiated public funding to arm its personnel because the state budget was not sufficient? What would happen to this country?” he asked as reported by tribunnews.com.

Yusril said the KPK should check whether or not the state budget was sufficient to fund the building’s construction, adding that the commission would just have to wait in the event their request was declined.

The initiative for the KPK seeking public funding came from the antigraft body’s deputy chairman, Bambang Widjojanto, after the House of Representatives declined to approve a new budget for the construction of a new KPK building.

KPK leaders have said the commission needs new headquarters, as its current building, located in Kuningan, South Jakarta, is operating above capacity.