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Your letters: Lack of interest in KPK jobs
Power of women: Members of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissionersâ selection team, (from left) Meuthia Ganie Rochman, Yenti Ganarsih, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, Betty S
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Power of women: Members of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissionersâ selection team, (from left) Meuthia Ganie Rochman, Yenti Ganarsih, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, Betty S. Alisjahbana, Enny Nurbaningsih, Diani Sadiawati and Supra Wimbarti, speak to journalists at the State Secretary building on May 26.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) (KPK) commissionersâ selection team, (from left) Meuthia Ganie Rochman, Yenti Ganarsih, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, Betty S. Alisjahbana, Enny Nurbaningsih, Diani Sadiawati and Supra Wimbarti, speak to journalists at the State Secretary building on May 26.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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span class="inline inline-center">Power of women: Members of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioners' selection team, (from left) Meuthia Ganie Rochman, Yenti Ganarsih, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, Betty S. Alisjahbana, Enny Nurbaningsih, Diani Sadiawati and Supra Wimbarti, speak to journalists at the State Secretary building on May 26.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
The two letters bellow refer to an article titled 'Interest lacking in KPK jobs,' (The Jakarta Post, June 24).
There are not many people who would be interested in applying for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) jobs because of many reasons. One of the issues is that the KPK will always be a political football. Why should we apply for the KPK jobs if the KPK is only a laughing stock?
Whether or not the selection team extends the deadline it won't be much better than the previous process held by the House of Representatives. As long as the future KPK commissioners are active police officers, Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel or prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office (AGO), the future KPK will be toothless because the corrupt officials and those behind them will be much more powerful than the law or rules regarding the KPK and corruption in Indonesia.
However, if I could choose, the acting KPK commissioner and former spokesman Johan Budi would be right for the KPK chairmanship backed up by those chosen by the smart female team.
I suggest that the AGO, TNI and police should not recommend anybody to apply to become KPK commissioners but let their personnel apply for the positions without recommendation in order that when they are selected they will be able to work genuinely without any intervention when making crucial decisions, clean from any pressure from a third party.
There must be no efforts from the AGO, TNI and police to influence the selection team into favoring their candidates, or any collusion between the AGO, TNI, police and the KPK selection team if they recommend that their officials be part of the KPK's fourth generation.
It is undeniable and everybody knows that when you have your men holding important positions, you will never be free from corruption, cronyism and nepotism (KKN).
Ladies of the selection team, please don't make a wrong decision in choosing the KPK positions, you have been given a moral obligation by the public to help combat corruption in our nation. This mission will test your credibility before the public. Keep up the good work and always smile!
Hot Saut
Jakarta
Many civil servants are involved in corruption and every Indonesian has paid bribes or has gotten someone else to pay the bribes for him.
Do I say to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) not to use wiretapping? No. Warrant-less wiretaps are dangerous stuff, the KPK can get away with it because it is small, only 1,000 people. However, to make a serious dent on corruption it needs 20,000 people.
An organization with 20,000 people, with virtually no oversight or transparency and the ability to tap people's phones without a warrant would be very dangerous. The field agent can tap someone's phone and then call Jakarta to get an OK after the fact claiming an emergency. Since there is no transparency, his superior can backdate the approval. The larger the KPK becomes, the more likely abuses can occur.
Edgar Hoover was director of the FBI and its precursor organization for 48 years from 1924 to 1972. He was only 29 when he became head of the Bureau of Investigation. Why do you think he survived so long? Because I suspect he illegally tapped politician's phones. He only ended his career as director of the FBI when he died at the age of 77. He never retired from the FBI. How many democracies allow a person to head its chief investigative agency for almost half a century?
I think it would be better if the KPK compromised on the warrantless wiretapping and allowed some oversight by the anti-corruption court, or restrict the warrantless wiretapping to the phones of government officials and their families only. In exchange its rule should be enshrined in the Constitution with a fixed budget, and be given the status of law enforcement agency. It also should be given the ability to train its own staff, and set a target to stop borrowing people from the police and Attorney General.
Weilim
Jakarta
