Titus Jonathan's Stories

(published by The Jakarta Post on 03 Dec 2009. Click here ) Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati are now standing in the brink over the case of Bank Century bailout. Just like the boxer who is cornered in the boxing ring, their position has made their “pro-enemy” supporters cheer and dance in brouhaha. The supporters avidly want them both knocked-out as early as possible. It is difficult not to say that Boediono and Sri Mulyani obviously are a minimum target by their “enemies”. I said as the “minimum” because if they are out (whether they are pressured to resign from the Cabinet or suspended temporarily), the other target is President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Say Yudhoyono is strong enough to stand in the middle of the storm, tarnishing his reputation is sufficient for his political foes, at least at this time. The Bank Century debacle, indeed, should be investigated to reveal what has been going on. The scandal should be opened to answer the allegation t...

(published by The Jakarta Post on 14 Nov 2009. Click here ) If I were a corrupt official, of course I would want the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to die. If the KPK institutionally cannot be "killed", I would try, at the minimum, to weaken its power and damage its reputation. Losing the public trust will make the KPK equal to a toothless tiger because trust is its lethal weapon. As the public desperately hopes for the KPK to crush the chronic corruption in this country, the KPK has been expected to be an angel who can do no wrong. The KPK has been becoming a frightening specter that constantly haunts those who are corrupt. This is a very serious menace that ensures that the rats (read: corruptors) never sleep in their nest peacefully. The superpower body has been successfully throwing corrupt officials in jail since the body formed. However, the success has not been without consequences. The more corrupt officials that are sent to jail, the more enemies the KPK cr...