SHAH ALAM - The principles of the 2012 Anti-Corruption Agency Statement (Jakarta Statement 2012) must be consistently reiterated and reminded to the public and governments in Southeast Asia to prevent them from being forgotten.
Southeast Asia Anti-Corruption Union (Sea Actions) Chairman, Mochamad Praswad Nugraha said the principles in the declaration were crucial to ensure anti-corruption institutions remain independent and uphold integrity.
Speaking at the Special Forum: Jakarta Statement – Asean’s Solution Against Corruption at Studio F, Karangkraf Complex on Wednesday, Praswad stressed that the repetition of the Jakarta Statement 2012’s principles should be done periodically so that the fight against corruption is not neglected.
"We do not want this to become like the 1998 Reformation in Indonesia, where student leaders who once championed justice eventually became corrupt after gaining power.
"Power is sweet and many who once fought against corruption ended up becoming perpetrators themselves after taking office,” he said.
According to Praswad, the Jakarta Statement — which has been in place since 2012 — needs to be revisited and re-examined, especially after 13 years of relative neglect.
Among the critical issues raised was the need for full autonomy in human resource and financial matters within anti-corruption agencies to prevent political interference.
"For example, investigators at Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) still consist of police officers or members of other prosecution departments.
"This causes a conflict of loyalty and complicates the enforcement of the law, especially if it involves the institution the officer originally came from,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of cross-border cooperation in fighting corruption, in line with the seventh principle in the Jakarta Statement 2012.
Praswad believes that efforts to combat corruption must involve a strong cooperative alliance between anti-corruption agencies, civil society organisations and the media to ensure that anti-corruption efforts are carried out comprehensively, independently, and continuously across the region.
"Abuse of power is unique; it is a combination of evil and authority, which is why it is very difficult to fight corruption without the support of the people and civil society, because the perpetrators of corruption are usually those in power, not ordinary citizens who have no authority,” he added.