The increase in economic growth in Indonesia in recent years has not been accompanied by equal distribution of welfare. Indonesia’s Gini ratio in 2015 was 0.43. This indicates a significant gap between “the rich” and “the poor” in the country. An essential factor triggering this condition is the continued practice of corruption. This was conveyed by Mahfud M.D. in a public lecture entitled The Role of Students and Campuses in Combating Corruption. The public lecture, held on Friday (15/4) in Room 3.3.1 of the Faculty of Law UGM, was attended by UGM students from various faculties.
Corruption, as an extraordinary crime, requires extraordinary eradication efforts. “Corruption must be resolved comprehensively,” stated Saut Situmorang. The Commissioner of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that the most important thing is building values within society. “If those values are not aligned, no matter what strategies, structures, systems, or skills we create, corruption will still occur,” he emphasized. In building these values, Saut agreed with Mahfud M.D. that law enforcement must be improved. One way to do this is by implementing strict standard operating procedures to prevent corruption that arises due to systemic demands.
At the end of the event, Laras Susanti, as the moderator of the public lecture, opened a question-and-answer session. A 2015 student of the Faculty of Law UGM asked about the idea of a special correctional institution (prison) for corruptors that had previously been reported in the mass media. Responding to the question, Mahfud M.D. said that he had once suggested creating a “corruptors’ garden,” where corruptors would be treated like animals. However, the statement was merely a joke expressing his frustration with corruptors. He made the joke while gathering with elementary school children brought together by the KPK. “If necessary, corruptors should be placed in a prison located inside a mall so their families would feel ashamed and others would be discouraged from committing corruption,” joked the Chairman of the Constitutional Court for the 2008–2011 period.
The event, which was open to the public, was also attended by students of the Faculty of Law UGM who were taking the Clinical Legal Education course. This course combines theory and practice for students, whether through research-based, community service-based, or teaching-based approaches. The purpose of the course is to enable students to promote anti-corruption perspectives in their professional capacities as law enforcers. Before the event concluded, Saut advised all participants to always maintain integrity. (Lita/Fitri)
