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It is obvious why we keep checking off
the names Muhammad Hatta, Gen. Hoegeng and Gen. Sudirman on lists noting
exemplary figures. They are individuals whom we look up to on account of
the values they stood up for: Hatta for his promotion of austerity,
Hoegeng for averting graft despite having the chance to commit it and
Sudirman for his unconditional love for this country.
If we look around us today, we cannot find these types of figures
anymore. We are sorely lacking of good men, even if the standard has been
lowered.
It is already difficult to find figures who can easily command our respect
in public life, let alone in politics. In public life, it is rare to meet
someone who can actually speak with moral authority in regards to
occurrences in society.
It is much worse in politics. What we are currently seeing is a revolving
door of power and money-hungry politicians, young and old, male and
female, who pay no mind to ethics and moral principles, politicians who
cut corners to get them to the top.
The problem is widespread. From the country’s highest institutions to
roadside police stations, what we find are individuals who are ready to
bend rules to further their individual or group’s interests.
We know there is a serious problem if those at the top are culpable of
breaching the code of ethics and civility.
It is not only that they have the spotlight cast on them — which will
make their wrongdoings and misconduct susceptible to exposure — but also
because we consider them to be the crucible, people that we expect to
uphold standards and the law as they are given a tremendous amount of
power in their various positions.
Power tends to corrupt indeed, but the combination of power and ethics or
goodwill, could make a difference, if not sweeping change.
Abraham Lincoln exploited, and may have abused the massive presidential
power accorded to him, but he used that to achieve a noble objective,
abolishing slavery.
Given his popularity, South African president Noble Laureate Nelson
Mandela could have stayed on as the country’s leader for at least another
term, but he voluntarily resigned from his presidency.
The lack of ethics-driven virtue in today’s leaders and politicos has
created devastating results. We are now practically living in a lawless
situation, a condition that Thomas Hobbes used to refer as nasty,
brutish, although not necessarily short.
Not only do the strong prey on the weak but the weak feed off of their
ilk simply to imitate what the powerful has done to them.
“Everybody else is doing it, so why
can’t we,” is the most frequent answer that we get from people that
break rules. If individuals in positions of power continue to violate the
rules that they themselves made, why should regular folks play by the
book? And with no punishment handed down to rule-breaking leaders, we
can’t expect ordinary citizens to respect the law.
It is this degree of cynicism that has become the root of our lawless
condition. Government officials never think twice about stealing money
from state coffers, the way motorists never think twice about running a
red light or disposing garbage from inside their moving vehicles.
They can violate the rules because no one is looking, because those who
are supposed to watch over us are too busy looking after their own
interests.
Politicos never think twice about
violating political statutes because they are certain that rules and
regulations could always be amended in response to the demands of the
day.
Regardless, not everything is lost. There are still a number of
institutions that we treat with respect, and it is with the utmost
urgency that we must do everything we can to save these small numbers of
institutions.
If we lose these last remaining defenders of ethics and morality, we
could lose hope in the country’s future.
This is why the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), as the standard
bearer of ethics and morality, has to be kept free from such ethical
breaches. With the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office
(AGO) dealing with internal corruption, the KPK is our only hope of
eradicating graft. The standards for the KPK should always be set very
high.
Crime happens when the benchmark is set too low. Corruption happens when
the benefits and rewards from the offense outweighs the risk of getting
caught.
The presence of the KPK has made the risk greater and such is the
standard for the KPK. The anti-graft body can do no wrong, even when it
concerns ethics, something that should be outside the purview of the law.
There should be no impunity for ethical breaches.
The probe into the KPK ethical breach shows that people at the top can be
held accountable for any possible wrongdoings, even if it concerns
ethics. First it was ethics they violated, before long it will be rules
and regulations.
The KPK, just like any other institution, is made up of people who can
make mistakes. It is the willingness of the KPK to learn and correct
mistakes that will make us all more optimistic for the future of the
nation.
In the end, we have to bear in mind that social justice is a function of
the rule of law that can only be ensured if our lawmakers and law
enforcers set a high standard of ethics and integrity. ●
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