Indonesian government vows to tackle corruption in 2011

[News_Editor]

Indonesian government vows to tackle corruption in 2011

2010-12-25 20:24:47 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The Indonesian government has vowed to tackle corruption in 2011 as accorded in a meeting with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Jakarta Post reported on Saturday.

The Indonesian Education Ministry announced that it plans to include an anti-corruption module in the 2011 curriculum to address the increasing corruption in the Asian nation, which has been condemned by international bodies such as the United Nations and the World Bank.

The Ministry said that the corruption issues can be tackled by arresting perpetrators, but that this is not sufficient to prevent corruption from taking place. Education Minister Mohammad Nuh said anti-corruption efforts should also involve the education system.

Nuh added that, in order to avoid corruption, the problem must be addressed since childhood. An anti-corruption education program would be a valuable tool in the formation of children, which can be shared with parents.

The anti-corruption module is expected to be part of the curriculums of all education levels, from elementary school to university.

Corruption in Indonesia has been a major and growing issue. In 2006, a bribery scandal involving the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Bagir Manan, and businessman and half-brother of former president Suharto, Probosutedjo, brought to light that corruption had reached the highest levels of the judicial system.

Since then, Indonesia has attempted to solve the issue by prosecuting national leaders and politicians. Former Minister of Religion Said Agil Husein al-Munawar was sentenced to seven years in prison for corruptly using Mecca pilgrimage money and former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Rokhmin Dahuri also received seven years for running an off-budget slush fund. Several former or current directors of state enterprises are also on trail or imprisoned.

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