TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD clarified his previous statement on asking the public not to be completely disappointed with the corrupt government in Indonesia.

He recalled that he first talked of widespread corruption in the archipelago. According to Mahfud, many considered it because democracy has gone too far since corrupt practices were committed through democratic means or using a democratic system.

“Let’s make a healthy democracy so it can accelerate economic progress. Unlike the current condition that democracy makes corruption grow in various sectors. It can be said that the current corruption is built through democratic processes and methods. That suffocates us and makes us desperate,” said Mahfud in his statement on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

Secondly, the former Constitutional Court chief justice said the public should not be disappointed with such a situation. He appealed to the people not to give up and keep fighting against corruption and create a healthy democracy.

“As an independent country, we can reduce the number of poor people from time to time even though many corruptions occur, moreover, [we can do more] if there is no corruption. That’s my statement,” Mahfud clarified.

He underlined that his two statements were two different issues that have no causal relationship. Despite many corruption in the country, he said the government succeeded to drop the poverty rate consistently from time to time because of the blessing of independence, let alone if the country has no corruption.

“It is a fact that there are many cases of corruption [in Indonesia]. It is another fact that the poverty rate drops. They do not have a causal relationship,” said Mahfud MD.

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EGI ADYATAMA