Candidates sing the same old anti-corruption song bignewsnetwork.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bignewsnetwork.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In the wake of Islamic resurgence and the growing democratic movements in North Africa and the Middle East, it is relevant to see Indonesia as a model of Muslim democracy. The country has shown a stable democratic government, civil liberties, and tremendous economic growth. By Luthfi Assyaukanie
CAN we reverse and uproot that culture of corruption and venality that’s become endemic – and to an extent institutionalised – in our society so as to eventually fade away like the old Marxist theory of “the withering away of the State”?
Or must we be content with ensuring only that corruption doesn’t veer out of control but kept suppressed within certain “reasonable limits” since, like other crimes, it’s a reality that defies all attempts at eradication?
Corruption is a crime unlike any other petty (e.g., minor theft) or serious offences (e.g., armed robbery) involving monetary loss as it involves the intent and consent of both parties, i.e., the giver and taker. In other words, corruption and bribery are meant to benefit the parties involved. Everyone gets share or takes a cut, at the end of the day.
The temptation to give or accept bribe is far more instinctive or impulsive compared to the desire to steal as the