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The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Prabowo slams corrupt Indonesian officials, warns foreign NGOs
JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (pic) used a national holiday address to deliver a sharp warning to the country's political elite, urging underperforming public officials to step down or face removal. The president, speaking Monday (June 2) at a state ceremony to commemorate Indonesia's founding state ideology, Pancasila, blamed many of the country's struggles on self-serving leaders and others that fail to act in the nation's interest. "One of our biggest weaknesses is the mentality of the national elite,' Prabowo said in a fiery, half-hour speech in front of several hundred military personnel, police and cabinet members in Jakarta. "There are still too many abuses, too much corruption, too much manipulation - and it's happening inside the government.' Any official unable to fulfill their duties, he added, should "step down before I remove them.' He did not name specific targets or agencies in his remarks. The speech marks one of Prabowo's strongest public criticisms of Indonesia's bureaucracy since taking office in October. The president, a member of Indonesia's upper classes who married into the family of former dictator Suharto, has relied heavily on a familiar rhetorical theme: that a corrupt and ineffective elite is weakening national unity and squandering the country's vast resources. Less than a year into his term, Prabowo has positioned himself as a populist leader seeking to lift living standards across an archipelago of more than 280 million people. His administration is rolling out free meals for many students across the country, and last week unveiled plans to lower transport and power costs as part of efforts to boost consumer spending. His big-spending programme and sharp policy shifts raised concerns among investors earlier this year, though sentiment has since stabilised. Prabowo has also portrayed himself as tough on graft, a long-standing problem in South-East Asia's largest economy. Indonesia ranked 99 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, and public confidence in oversight institutions is relatively low. The president also warned of foreign interference, another familiar refrain, accusing unnamed international actors of funding civil society groups to divide Indonesia under the guise of promoting democracy and human rights. "They've been doing this for decades,' he said. "With their money, they fund NGOs that pit us against one another. We must not be manipulated by any nation.' Prabowo delivered his speech at the Pancasila Building in central Jakarta - the same site where the country's founding president, Sukarno, first laid out what he envisioned as a unifying ideology for Indonesia's diverse population in June 1945. Just over two months later, Indonesia declared independence from Dutch colonial rule. Among those in attendance Monday was Sukarno's daughter, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, leader of the main opposition party. It was the first time the two appeared together in public since Prabowo's election victory, though they had a closed-door meeting in April this year. - Bloomberg
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Prabowo slams corrupt Indonesian officials, warns foreign NGOs
Mr Prabowo has also portrayed himself as tough on graft, a long-standing problem in South-east Asia's largest economy. PHOTO: AFP JAKARTA – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto used a national holiday address to deliver a sharp warning to the country's political elite, urging underperforming public officials to step down or face removal. The president, speaking on June 2 Monday at a state ceremony to commemorate Indonesia's founding state ideology, Pancasila, blamed many of the country's struggles on self-serving leaders and others that fail to act in the nation's interest. 'One of our biggest weaknesses is the mentality of the national elite,' Mr Prabowo said in a fiery, half-hour speech in front of several hundred military personnel, police and Cabinet members in Jakarta. 'There are still too many abuses, too much corruption, too much manipulation – and it's happening inside the government.' Any official unable to fulfil their duties, he added, should 'step down before I remove them.' He did not name specific targets or agencies in his remarks. The speech marks one of Mr Prabowo's strongest public criticisms of Indonesia's bureaucracy since taking office in October. The president, a member of Indonesia's upper classes who married into the family of former dictator Suharto, has relied heavily on a familiar rhetorical theme: that a corrupt and ineffective elite is weakening national unity and squandering the country's vast resources. Less than a year into his term, Mr Prabowo has positioned himself as a populist leader seeking to lift living standards across an archipelago of more than 280 million people. His administration is rolling out free meals for many students across the country, and last week unveiled plans to lower transport and power costs as part of efforts to boost consumer spending. His big-spending programme and sharp policy shifts raised concerns among investors earlier in 2025, though sentiment has since stabilised. Mr Prabowo has also portrayed himself as tough on graft, a long-standing problem in South-east Asia's largest economy. Indonesia ranked 99 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, and public confidence in oversight institutions is relatively low. The president also warned of foreign interference, another familiar refrain, accusing unnamed international actors of funding civil society groups to divide Indonesia under the guise of promoting democracy and human rights. 'They've been doing this for decades,' he said. 'With their money, they fund NGOs that pit us against one another. We must not be manipulated by any nation.' Mr Prabowo delivered his speech at the Pancasila Building in central Jakarta – the same site where the country's founding president, Sukarno, first laid out what he envisioned as a unifying ideology for Indonesia's diverse population in June 1945. Just over two months later, Indonesia declared independence from Dutch colonial rule. Among those in attendance on June 2 was Sukarno's daughter, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, leader of the main opposition party. It was the first time the two appeared together in public since Mr Prabowo's election victory, though they had a closed-door meeting in April 2025. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Borneo Post
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Public servants must uphold integrity, reject corruption – Chief Secretary
Shamsul (center) posing with the civil servants during the event.-Information Department photo TAWAU (May 11): Public servants in the country must uphold the Federal Constitution and always adhere to the principle of the rule of law as the foundation of the nation's governance system. The Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Shamsul Azril Abdul Bakar, said public servants are responsible for setting an example in demonstrating compliance with the legal system and governance with integrity. 'Loyalty is not merely about reciting an oath but is a lifelong commitment. Public servants must uphold the values of integrity, ethics, and excellence in their service. 'This loyalty must be proven by an uncompromising rejection of any form of corruption. Integrity and ethics are the foundation of a service culture that must be embraced throughout one's tenure,' he said. He stated this when officiating the closing ceremony of the MADANI Rakyat Programme: Together with the Chief Secretary to the Government at the Tawau Community Hall on Sunday. Shamsul also emphasized that public servants are not merely performing duties but are responsible for contributing to the well-being of the people and the prosperity of the nation. 'As public servants and stewards on this earth, we must carry out our duties with sincere intentions and ensure that every action is taken justly and prudently,' he said. In his speech, he also touched on Malaysia's role as the ASEAN Chair this year, which carries the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability.' 'I am confident that this responsibility will showcase the capabilities and high commitment of the country's public servants in undertaking the strategic role as ambassadors of professionalism and excellence for Malaysia on the regional stage,' he said. Commenting on Malaysia's position in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International, he said Malaysia is now ranked second among ASEAN countries after Singapore, with a score of 50 points. 'I urge all public servants to continue upholding high integrity values and reject any form of power abuse. We must work together to realize the nation's aspiration to be among the top 25 countries in the index by 2033,' he asserted. Shamsul also called for the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability to be the main pillars in every execution of trust for the nation's prosperity and the people's well-being. Also present were the Sabah Federal Secretary, Datuk Seri Rosli Isa; the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communications, Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa; the Director-General of the Community Communications Department, Datuk Ismail Yusop; and the President of the Tawau Municipal Council, Pang Pick Lim @ Joseph.
Daily Express
04-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
US44b for education but ‘some schools only have one toilet'
Published on: Sunday, May 04, 2025 Published on: Sun, May 04, 2025 By: Jakarta Globe Text Size: Prabowo delivers his National Education Day speech at an elementary school in Bogor May 2. JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto revealed Friday that the government had allocated a record-breaking education budget, but the money was not going to the right people as some schools were still in poor condition with all its students even having to share one toilet. May 2 marks the National Education Day. Indonesia is trying to improve its human capital, among others, by having a multibillion-dollar nutrient-rich meal program. The country's curriculum also keeps on changing in hopes it will finally meet what the industry needs. But there are other things that Indonesia needs to pay attention to, namely the state of the school's physical infrastructure and facilities. In his National Education Day speech, Prabowo revealed that countless schools in the country were in bad shape despite the big education budget. For the 2025 fiscal year, Indonesia has set aside Rp 724.3 trillion ($44 billion) for the education sector. Southeast Asia's largest economy had allocated Rp 665 trillion in education spending for 2024. Over the past decades, the government has earmarked about 20 percent of its annual budget for education as mandated by the constitution. Parts of the money also go to renovating schools. 'The current education budget is the highest-ever in Indonesian history, about 22 percent of our state budget. … Education will determine whether Indonesia will be a poor nation or grow into a country that can provide a better life for its people,' Prabowo said at an elementary school in Bogor. 'But let us ask ourselves, has all that money we spent [on education] over the years already gone to the right 'addresses'? Many schools are damaged even though we know that the money [for the renovations] is there. And how come there is only one toilet?' Prabowo alluded that the money could have been lost to corruption as he urged his government officials to make sure that the designated budget must go into school renovations, as it should be. Indonesia is known to have been grappling with entrenched corruption. It scored 37 out of 100 points on the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index. A score of 0 indicates a highly corrupt country, while 100 means that it is very clean. The government plans to spend around Rp 16.9 trillion on school renovations for this year alone. Prabowo admitted that this was far from enough if Indonesia wanted to fix its school buildings. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Korea Herald
16-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
S. Korea rises to 30th in global corruption index
South Korea ranked 30th in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, released last week by Transparency International, Seoul officials said Sunday. It marks the country's highest ranking since the index's calculation method was revised in 2012. Compared to 2023, the country ranked two spots higher, and its Corruption Perceptions Index score also increased to 64 out of 100, up from 63. An official from South Korea's government agency Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission analyzed the results, saying, 'While national-level efforts to prevent corruption have had a positive impact on integrity assessments, the rise of new corruption factors — such as cryptocurrency-related crime and political polarization — has negatively affected both domestic and international perceptions of corruption.' The Korean anti-corruption agency official added that the ranking is based on surveys conducted through October 2024, so the declaration of martial law in December was not reflected in the results. Among OECD member countries, South Korea's ranking also improved, rising from 22nd to 21st. In 2023, South Korea ranked 32nd in the global index, slipping one place from the previous year. That decline was the first in seven years since the implementation of an anti-graft law in 2016. The Corruption Perceptions Index evaluates how corrupt a country's public sector is perceived to be, using data collected by governance and business experts, according to Transparency International. The rankings are released annually.
