HOLOPIS.COM, JAKARTA – Constitutional law expert Mahfud MD said corruption in Indonesia is not caused solely by a lack of regulations. He argued that leadership, firmness, and personal example are crucial to making anti-corruption efforts effective.
Mahfud made the remarks while delivering a public lecture titled “Point of View: Pancasila and the Relationship Between Religion and the State” at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta (UMY).
During the lecture, Mahfud addressed the debate over what should be improved first to strengthen state governance: institutions or leadership.
He said both aspects need to be improved. Even well-designed institutions, he argued, will not function effectively if they are run by people who lack integrity.
“Both need to be improved. Even a good institution will be useless if the people running it are not good,” Mahfud said, reported by Holopis.com, Wednesday (30/9).
Mahfud also noted that the 1945 Constitution has been amended several times to improve the country’s systems and institutions, including to address various governance challenges.
However, he said the existence of regulations and institutional reforms does not automatically eliminate corruption.
Mahfud then highlighted leadership as an urgent area for improvement.
He said Indonesia already has a wide range of regulations governing the fight against corruption. The problem, according to Mahfud, lies in whether leaders consistently enforce those rules firmly and without discrimination.
“When it comes to regulations, we already have everything. Therefore, corruption occurs widely because leaders are not firm and show favoritism. That is why I believe the key lies in leadership. I have no other theory,” he stressed.
According to Mahfud, effective leadership in fighting corruption cannot rely solely on the ability to formulate policies. Leaders must also demonstrate honesty, integrity, and personal example in their daily conduct.
He linked the importance of moral leadership to Islamic values, which were also part of the discussion during the lecture.
“How can we ask people not to be corrupt if their own leaders are corrupt? How can we tell people to stay on the straight path if we ourselves do not? Morality is what matters most, and that morality must be reflected in the leader,” he stressed.
