Indonesia’s bid to ‘force’ officials to live modestly will only lead them to hide assets, critics say

A decision by Indonesia’s anti-corruption watchdog to hold workshops for government officials on living modestly has prompted critics to question if the plan has enough teeth to curb corruption, amid public anger over bureaucrats flaunting their wealth.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) recently stepped up its crackdown on civil servants and their families for publicising their lavish spending habits on social media, in a country where more than 26 million people live below the poverty line of US$2.15 per day.

The KPK also launched investigations against officials for amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, but advocacy groups and lawmakers doubt if the training sessions are an effective way to root out corruption among officials.

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Ahmad Sahroni, a lawmaker from the NasDem Party, said “forcing” civil servants to stick to modest lifestyles will make them more likely to hide ill-gotten gains and complicate the KPK’s drive against corruption.

Ahmad, who is also on a parliamentary panel overseeing law, human rights and security, said it’s not a bad idea to conduct courses, but the agency needs to focus more on fighting corruption and money-laundering through rigorous measures, including persuading officials to submit their asset reports on time.

“The KPK needs to remind those who forget, and to actively ask for those who intentionally [do not submit their wealth reports],” The Jakarta Post quoted him as saying.

The Jakarta city administration announced last week that it would hold a two-day course for civil servants and their wives on protecting the integrity of the workforce in the coming months.

It also encouraged officials’ spouses to play a part in getting rid of bribery by asking them to explain their sources of income.

“Don’t ask them questions only when they do not bring any money home but also ask when they do so, ask them how they got the money,” said Jakarta Provincial Inspector Syaefuloh Hidayat.

The KPK has intensified its anti-corruption campaign in recent months after a host of government officials and their families were reprimanded on social media for bragging about their luxury goods such as handbags, cars and sport motorcycles.

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The watchdog on Monday questioned a top regional health official after photos of her expensive bags worth more than US$13,000 went viral. The KPK alleged the wealth report she submitted to it did not match her civil service salary.

The son of the Indonesian law and human rights minister, Yasonna Laoly, is also under investigation by the KPK over allegations he monopolised business in correctional facilities.

In April, a senior official was arrested on charges of taking bribes from the public, blowing the lid off a tax scandal at the finance ministry where officials were accused of laundering more than US$20 billion in suspicious transactions over a 14-year period.