Dr. Meutia Irina Mukhlis, a lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities (FIB), Universitas Indonesia (UI), said that some officials or people in dignified positions in society tend to be involved in corrupt practices. From a philosophical point of view, this situation indicates a serious problem in Indonesia regarding corruption. Power seems to spoil a number of politicians, and the slogans for the welfare of the people in campaigns have finally become ideals of the past. She believes that in deontology – a theory of moral philosophy that emphasizes the good and bad of behavior based on obligations – the practice of corruption is a defect from a moral and ethical perspective.
“Corruption, an action that any ethical system considers bad or distasteful, has become a culture in Indonesia. This indicates a distortion in our understanding of ethical consciousness within our own culture. This results in a disgraceful act being normalized,” said Mutia.
She stated that parties who do not want to participate in corruption are vulnerable to social sanction because they are not considered “team players“. Meanwhile, those participating in corruption are given instant rewards, such as projects and promotions. This indicates the ethical or moral awareness in Indonesia is turned upside down. We really devalue or underestimate the value of truth, honesty, and justice,” she said.
In a survey conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in 2023, it was found that public trust in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was only 58.8 percent, and the KPK was the lowest government institution with public trust after Secretariat General (DPR). Public distrust of anti-corruption institutions indicates the failure of the legal and political system in Indonesia to prevent corruption and uphold justice.
Dr. Meutia assessed that countries with low corruption cases, such as Singapore, have high legal awareness because the corruptors will be punished strictly. The government is also concerned about the good services provided for its people. As a result, people feel the benefits and can be proud of their country’s achievements.
According to her, a bad value system will never produce a healthy, developed, and strong nation. From a philosophical point of view, corruption weakens national resilience from an economic, social, and moral perspective. Corruption causes uneven economic development because the orientation of state economic management is more directed toward the interests of certain groups. This results in limited funds to build adequate social infrastructure. As a result, the vision of providing quality education and health services to the community takes time to achieve.
It is difficult to determine who is in charge of eradicating corruption because of its systemic nature. Therefore, Dr. Meutia emphasized the importance of stopping self-corruption. “You can start by saying the word ‘no’ to offers of corruption and then consistently holding it amid pressure and temptation. If this is done successfully, the number of existing perpetrators of corruption can be reduced, which is ourselves. It is our actions that can change our own reality,” he said.
Meanwhile, legal sanctions need to be applied to deter the corruptors. Dr. Meutia believes that the appropriate sanction is to return the full amount of losses caused and prison punishment. Furthermore, corruptors should not be allowed to occupy leadership positions in any social institutions or run for public office forever. For maximum punishment, Dr. Meutia agreed to life imprisonment without the possibility of pardon or amnesty.
In order to restore the nation’s morale, Dr. Meutia emphasized the need for a more radical mental revolution or cultural revolution. He said, “Primarily, we must redefine who we are and where we want to go as a nation and state. Actions to restore morality are never easy and take a long time. In this context, the government plays an important role because the government has the power to run the wheels of government, and therefore must provide an example of higher cultural and moral behavior.”
