PPATK Reveals New Mode of Money Politics

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center’s (PPATK) deputy of eradication division, Firman Shantyabudi, said his institution found a new mode of money politics used by participants of the 2019 general elections.

The new style included the provision of an accident insurance policy and electronic money.

“[Money politics] is no longer carried out by giving voters money as it is a conventional method, but voters are promised to receive insurance. That is the same [practice], promising a valuable thing,” said Firman after a discussion held by Setara Institute in Central Jakarta on Friday, April 5. 

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Firman explained that PPATK found the new method carried out by a legislative candidate. However, he stopped short of mentioning the candidate's name and the amount of insurance. “A candidate practices that style. [We have] found that this March,” he added.

The PPATK reported the findings to the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) to be followed-up on and was still monitoring other candidates suspected of using a similar method. 

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“We are still monitoring bank transactions in coordination with the banks by giving the candidates' names to the bank. That’s actually an easy [task],” Firman said, adding that election participants came up with various kinds of money politics nowadays.

IQBAL TAWAKAL LAZUARDI (CONTRIBUTOR)