TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi ensured the new Attorney General ST Burhanuddin would be professional at work despite being a sibling of a PDIP politician, TB Hasanuddin.

“I assure you the Attorney General is a professional in carrying out duties on law enforcement. He is a former solicitor general and experienced. He also has good appearance, firm, but gentle,” said the President before reporters at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday, October 24.

Joko Widodo said that the position of attorney general required internal people who understood the institution’s internal affairs. When meeting with Burhanuddin, the President claimed he was attracted to Burhanuddin’s views on measures to reform the institution, especially on preventing corruption.

With regards to Burhanuddin's status as a blood brother of TB Hasanuddin, Joko Widodo deemed the fact could not be viewed as the reason for his assignment.

The Indonesian Anticorruption Society (MAKI) previously accused the appointment of Burhanuddin as Attorney General was politically-driven because of the latter's close relationship with PDIP, the ruling party.

MAKI coordinator Boyamin Saiman said that President Jokowi repeated his decision during the first-term cabinet when he appointed HM Prasetyo, former NasDem politician, as Attorney General.

Boyamin opined the assignment caused many cases in the Attorney’s General Office to be laden with political interests. “So, the attorney was not independent in enforcing the law, including combating corruption,” he said.

FRISKI RIANA