Minister Yasonna Laoly Tight-Lipped over Meeting on KPK Civic Knowledge Test

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly was reluctant to talk much after attending a meeting with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) today, May 25, on the fate of KPK employees who failed the civic knowledge test or TWK.

“Ask later...,” he said shortly today at the BKN Building, East Jakarta.

Yasonna left the BKN Building at 12:49 local time via the back door while reporters were waiting for him and other meeting participants to come out in the front lobby. He was accompanied by KPK Secretary-General Cahya Harefa.

Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said five KPK leaders and officials were present at the meeting. The Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Minister Tjahjo Kumolo was also present.

Ali said the meeting was also held to follow up on the direction of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo who asked the test not to be used as a basis for dismissing employees, but as an input for the agency's improvement.

The implementation of the test which resulted in the suspension of 75 employees has recently become controversial. KPK leaders allegedly smuggled the test policy in Commission Regulation No. 1/2021. According to a number of employees, such a policy had never been discussed in the drafting of the regulation.

Besides, the questions on the test also sparked criticism as they were considered sexist, intolerant, and allegedly contained sexual harassment. A number of KPK employees said they did not receive questions that were relevant to their jobs in the anti-graft body.

Read: President Jokowi Weighs in on Controversial KPK Civics Test Results

M ROSSENO AJI