Thanks to the KPK for a clean country. Everybody knows religious matters are important in our life. But the murky ministry utilized the power on behalf of the government.

I manage my company in Indonesia as a foreign company. Sometimes I encounter this kind of demand as a bribe. One local government officers said to me that '€œif you apply for the license, you also say thanks with money'€.

I refused so he extorted. The key word is '€œculture'€ he added. How to imagine '€œculture'€? The officer has three children, they are still under three years old. I wonder if he is proud of dealing in a graft case in front of his family. It is awful.

My staff ask me how does one eliminate or prevent graft in other countries. I answer: education and history. In the future I hope we open our eyes instead of being blind to graft.

Nobu
Jakarta

Only rabbits prefer carrots to money. I'€™m sure that Suryadharma is a human being.

E Nurdin
Jakarta

I'€™m personally enraged over indecent administrative offenses which have taken place under the roof of the Religious Affairs Ministry.

I want to see the next government scrap this ministry for good, and all faith-related affairs (including the haj, civil and Muslim marriage and the funding of Muslim boarding schools) be transferred to the bipartite governance of the Home Ministry and the Education and Culture Ministry.

The current haj fund graft case has allegedly been committed by the top ranks of a supposedly most revered godly body in Indonesia.

So how dare this totally failed ministry judge and prosecute some other lay citizen because of his different beliefs or his faithless (atheistic) attitude?

John Isles
Jakarta

I think there are things Suryadharma should do. First, he should repent. Second, he should cooperate with the KPK and be ready to face the music.

Ridwan AN.
Yogyakarta

Under Suryadharma, the Religious Affairs Ministry has been bullying minority sects instead of defending them, which was its duty. Eradicate it!

Hadi
Surabaya

But what'€™s to stop auditors helping themselves to a slice of the pie as well?

Ultimately this can only be solved by raising the moral standards of the nation, in particular of the people at the top.

Here'€™s an idea, why doesn'€™t the government create a religion ministry that could lead by example in moral affairs and set a pure, honest, upright tone for the nation to follow?

Terry

They have personal accounts to receive monies related to the haj funds. I don'€™t know the precise reason he has provided for this, but this is utter nonsense! Once again I question Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono'€™s ability to run his ministries.

Valkyrie

Topic of the day

Governor Ahok

Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama will take over as acting Jakarta governor on Monday, while Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo takes a leave of absence to focus on his presidential campaign. What do you think?

Send your thoughts by email, SMS, Twitter or Facebook. Include your name and city.

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