Indonesia Should Not Tolerate Corruption: KPK

Jakarta (Antara) - Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has urged people to make corruption their common and top enemy. "We must make corruption our common and top enemy and declare that there is no place for corruption in Indonesia," KPK chairman Abraham Samad said at the Anti-Corruption Week 2013 to mark International Anti-Corruption Day at the Senayan Sports Stadium here on Monday. Samad noted that although Indonesia has been independent for 68 years, several households continue to live in poverty, despite Indonesia being a rich country. "It is terrible and heart-rending to see hungry children and school dropouts when our country has several resources to help them," he added. He said the state of affairs is due to the fact that Indonesia is not free of corruption. "If there is no corruption, the implementation of development programs will happen smoothly. There will be no dirty or non-asphalt roads and no school drop-outs. We are all agents of change. If we don't make the change, who will?" he remarked. Samad said the possibility of corruption is found in every country and people should, therefore, be made aware of the risks of corruption. Through the Anti-Corruption Week being held during December 9-11, the KPK hopes that anti-corruption values will not only be publicized but also implemented in daily life. "Let us not be greedy or acquisitive because that is what leads to corruption," he noted. The KPK has been spearheading efforts to eradicate corruption in Indonesia over the past 10 years. Samad, however, noted that the task is tough and the KPK must not only maintain its efforts but also gather support from all classes of society. "We want to encourage people to stop accepting or becoming apathetic to corruption. If we can build an anti-corruption culture, God willing, corruption will be slowly but surely eradicated," he added. *