REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KH Said Aqil Siroj (Chairman of the Nahdhatul Ulama/NU)
"Rogues nest," that the words instantly came out of my acquaintance, a small merchant when began to talk to me about the shindy reactions of public about corruption cases involved Directorate General of Customs and Excise officers. You know, curse words will be easily ejected when somebody talking about corruption cases especially in an institution involving state officials. The expression of my angry friend at least was a representation of the attitude of the public running amok in their hearts responding to the occurrences of various cases of corruption.
Angry, they keep angry again, it so continuously ignites people's emotions. There was a story of a bribery case involved a former top officials at Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas). Then, it's uncovered again a bribery case ensnared by an official of the Constitutional Court. Again, it followed by the unfolding model of 'dynasty' involving local officials.
The hot news had not cooled down yet, when police officers arrest Directorate General of Customs and Excise officials who was collaborated with an entrepreneur on corruption. People turn to be annoyed, why those who spoiled their high salaries and facilities were still determined on corruption activities. "Damn, a depraved moral!" that was the rebuke of my students who were always reading the newspaper.
Please understand how angry people are due to the flare of corruption. Common people were hard to earn money, while those people who sits on their throne surrounded by money and it is pursued by the clumsy ways. Let alone facilities or allowances, to find a job with a salary, common people face difficulty.
Likewise, so did an employee who has been working, often come up short to meet their daily needs. Ironically enough, when a corruptor was arrested, rows of luxury cars, homes, and women further revealed as an outcome of their corrupted behavior.
Turn to be addictive
So, it might be sociologically defined by sociologist Syed Hussein Alatas (1997), corrupt behavior in our country manifested in the form of transactive, ekstro-active and nepotistic corruption. This is just a few modes, although there were many modes done to smooth out acts of corruption. And its usual facts; corruption is done in congregation.
On a congregation, there must be priests and congregation. An employee can bandwagon corruption acts due to the availability of opportunity and a 'blessing' from superiors. Initially, one may be in fear, but because of who involved in it also from his colleagues, either on the same level or above level, then so the courage emerged.
Once or twice it feels good, without any investigation. After a long time, they lost their memory and become an ingrained habit. That's a lot of stories about the tricks on corruption in several institutions in the country. It is not a secret anymore and so often someone to talk about it the coffee shop. This certainly did not mean to generalize it in a simplistic way.
Unfortunately, corruption cases were like losing one corruptor but thousand will grow. There was no deterrent to corruption, due to 'crazy' motivations to pursue a richer life. So, corruption turned to be an addictive. Like a drug addict, when it's in severe level, it feels 'fly' when they were not enjoy the illicit goods any more.
How to combat corruption? Do not do it like banning a smoke. Even if the danger of cigarettes has been warned, smokers continue to rise anyway. Why the smoking ban was not accompanied by tackling the tobacco industry. There was a dilemma between the raising of tax revenues and the concern of public health deterioration. There is also an expression; arresting criminals were easier, but it is difficult to punish them by legal verdicts [in court] which often soft on it or even acquittal.
Cases of bribery in Customs office showed an increasing deterioration of the country due to corruption. There used to be a term 'shadow director general' in Customs office. In New Order era when Justice Minister served by Ali Said, he ever imprisoned dozens of custom mobsters to Nusakambangan. In the Reforms Order, now, we just wait to see the level of courage of law enforcement body to beat corruptors.
It's like a story of a fellow entrepreneur, when he terms, 'a milch cow' and 'angel of death' on labeling the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. Due to corruption in customs, the state suffered a big loss, as it affected on abundance of contraband. Hence, we should be suspicious, why nowadays foreign products could flood in to our country, to the extent that local products get down.
Cut off generation
Islamic law considered that corruption is not only related to the issue of 'maliyah' (property), but it has special character. Corruption involves not only a powerful man, but covering on crimes committed by a person directly through the power in which he in charge for. On bribes, authorities received the treasure from people who are not in power for a particular purpose. Corruption was more serious, because it includes cases in which the holders of power outright on stealing public property via his authority.
Acts of corruption was a facade, an act of damaging the livelihood and the culprit is said to be committed great sins (jinayah kubro). In the language of jurisprudence, corruption al so called 'jarimah kubro' and can be included as 'shirk', an unforgivable sin.
Jurisprudence also labeled acts of corruption as 'sariqoh kubro' (grand larceny) and the perpetrators should be punished severely. In Islamic law, it is figured (qiyas awlawi); if an ordinary thief will be punished by cutting off his hand, then the punishment for corruptors should be larger than the hand cut off.
Changing the perception of the human mind will be critical in the effort to combat corruption. Corruption is not just a matter of behavior, but also about understanding of thinking. Human behavior was influenced by the circumstances surrounding it that could be a 'binder' of their faith to stick to it. And this way should be shot through the 'cut off generation', to build a new cleaner generation.
Well, the story of corruption in customs and excise increasingly opened our eyes of how corruption runs more wildly. The fiercer animals can still be tamed, but the fiercer passions of man were not easily approachable even with the threat. Now, it left; courage!
Ed: Heri Ruslan
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