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strong>May 16, p6

Supporters of the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) must hate the Internet right now. The party has long been a target of online mockery for its perceived self-righteousness. But in the past, it always managed to prove its critics wrong, until the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested and detained its former leader, Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, on corruption charges. (By Ary Hermawan, Jakarta)

Your comments:

The status quo for politicians is corruption. They all do it. From the President (who should be indicted for treason against Pancasila) and down to the lower ranks, corruption is not seen as a criminal act. It is seen as a duty, a right.

You, as a politician, would be seen as foolish to miss an opportunity to make huge amounts of money like the other politicians, if you could.

The prevalence of Islamic thinking, in which individual conscience has been excised, allows politicians to do as they please.

The Jakarta Post doesn't see this as innocent until proven guilty, when the whole edifice of Indonesian politics is rotten to the core. Instead, look at these politicians, and ask if they are ever responsive to the real needs of real Indonesians, and not for the greater glory of their respective parties.

Maurice Gold