Indonesia’s Fight Against Corruption Stalls: Transparency International

Jakarta Globe, Nivell Rayda | October 26, 2010

Indonesia position on Transparency International’s latest global Corruption Perception Index is unchanged.Transparency International Indonesia chairman Todung Mulya Lubis said on Tuesday that this surprises him, given the lack of commitment to fight graft by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, pictured. (Antara Photo)

Jakarta. Indonesia’s fight against corruption has hit the wall based on Transparency International’s latest global Corruption Perception Index released on Tuesday.

Indonesia ranked 110 out of 178 countries surveyed by the Berlin-based group, a slight improvement on last year’s ranking of 111, though less countries were surveyed.

Indonesia, like last year, received an appalling 2.8, with 0 being the most corrupt and 10 the least.

“I am not surprised at all. In fact I am shocked that Indonesia could maintain a score of 2.8,” Transparency International Indonesia chairman Todung Mulya Lubis said. “I was suspecting that we would score lower than last year because the fight against corruption has weakened in the past year.”

Todung cited last year’s spat between elements within the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the police. Many suspected that law enforcers attempted to frame KPK deputy chairmen Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra Hamzah, who are accused of receiving Rp 5.1 billion in bribes from a businessman.

“This is a battle between two ideologies, that of anticorruption and against corruption,” he said. “Antigraft institutions are systematically weakened. The government has failed to raise the integrity of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. People are asking is the government committed to eradicating corruption?”

Three countries are tied with a score 9.3 as the cleanest countries: Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore. This year’s most corrupt country is Somalia with a score of 1.1.

Neighboring country Brunei scored 5.5 this year and ranked number 38, making it the second cleanest country in Southeast Asia after Singapore. Malaysia, another Southeast Asian county, ranked 56 with a score of 4.4 while Thailand ranked 78 with 3.5.

Indonesia fairs slightly better than Vietnam (116 with a score of 2.7) and the Philippines (134 with a score 2.4). Burma is the second most corrupt in the world with a score of 1.4.