Indonesia’s Corruption History
Corruption has been ‘entrenched’ in Indonesia since the beginning, both before and after independence, in the Old Order, New Order, and Reformation eras. Various efforts to combat corruption have been attempted, but the results are still far from satisfactory. In general, Indonesia’s periodization of corruption can be split into two categories, namely the pre-independence and post-independence periods.
- “Cultural traditions of corruption” that go on forever because they are motivated by power, wealth, and women.
The struggle for power in the Singosari Kingdom (up to seven descendants seeking revenge for power: Anusopati-Tohjoyo-Ranggawuni-Mahesa Wongateleng and others), Majapahit (the rebellions of Kuti, Narnbi, Suro and others), Demak (Joko Tingkir with Haryo Penangsang), Banten (the rebellion of Kuti, Narnbi, Suro and others).
2) The people’s resistance to the Dutch and subsequent power changes in the archipelago have colored Indonesia’s history of corruption and power. The destruction of the major kingdoms (Sriwijaya, Majapahit, and Mataram) was owing to the corrupt behavior of most of its nobility.
3) The VOC broke Mataram into two powers, the Sultanate of Yogyakarta and the Kasunanan Surakarta, in 1755 with the Giyanti Agreement. The Surakarta Sunanate was divided into two jurisdictions by the VOC in 1757/1758: the Surakarta Sunanate and the Mangkunegaran Sunanate. Yogyakarta’s Sultanate is also separated into two parts: Yogyakarta and Pakualaman.
4) The discussion about the character of the Javanese populace in Thomas Stamford Raffles’ book History of Java (the British Governor General who ruled the island of Java from 1811 to 1816) is fascinating. The Javanese people are said to be “nrimo,” or resigned to their fate. On the other hand, there is a desire to be more well-liked by others.
Not honest, prefers to keep problems hidden, and takes advantage of possibilities when others are unaware. Another fascinating aspect is the existence of nobility who like amassing wealth and caring for relatives (abdi dalem), but courtiers prefer to gain or seek the attention of their employers. As a result, the courtiers choose to search for faces or act haphazardly.
5) The monarch, like the rest of the royal elite, desires to be praised, respected, and liked and dislikes criticism and ideas. In terms of economic resources, society’s economic resources are dominated by the king and his circle of nobility. People are typically “left” destitute, oppressed, and obedient, and must obey whatever the “rulers” say, will, or will not.
7) When the Dutch governed the archipelago (1800–1942) without the British Age, the Javanese King’s tradition of exacting “tributes” from the lesser people was emulated by the Dutch (1811–1816). Diponegoro (1825–1830), Imam Bonjol (1821–1837), Aceh (1873–1904), and others, for example, fought back.
Why are we must fighting with corruption?
Because Corruption is a crime that is extremely harmful to the state. Corruption causes a country’s economic growth to slow, investment to drop, poverty to rise, and income disparity to rise. Even corruption has the potential to undermine people’s happiness in a country.