The Dynamics of Inequality: Corruption and Political Dynasty

Regional issues that have been widely discussed by the Banten people are corrupt and dynastic politics. It was explained how the Chasan Sochib family used a strong kinship network, exploited state resources, and used bureaucracy to strengthen the political machinery and consolidate lower-line political power over Banten. The strengthening of family domination in lower-line politics and economic resources are pursued by public policies that are more concerned with the interests of the family, rather than the interests of society. In other words, corruption and dynastic politics are not social phenomena that appear on the surface. Corruption and dynastic politics emerged because it was the result of social, cultural, economic, political processes that had been built by the Chasan Sochib family so far. 

Corruption and Political Dynasty
Corruption is defined by the World Bank and Transparency International (TI) as abuse of public office for personal gain. Therefore, it involves improper behavior and violates the law, both public service officials, politicians, and civil servants whose position creates opportunities for the transfer of money and assets from the government for themselves and their cronies. Corruption distorts the allocation of resources and government performance. The causes of corruption have many developments and vary.

Among the factors contributing to the development of corruption cases are misdirected policies, government programs and activities that are poorly understood and managed, failing government institutions, poverty, income gaps, civil servant remuneration, and lack of accountability and regional financial transparency. 

Through Berger and Luckmann (1967), we can see that corruption is not the result of social creations that manifest themselves slowly. When corruption is externalized, at the same time it is also slowly being defined as an objective social reality. The process of corruption dialectics is then internalized from external objective social reality so that it becomes part of the subjective internal social reality. To a certain degree and environment, corruption which becomes an internalized objective reality is a force that forces social actors to be involved in it or at least accepts it as natural. 

Corruption is deeply rooted in Banten. Various attempts were made to eradicate (or reduce, if the phrase 'eradicate' is deemed too utopian) of corruption. The perpetrators of corruption in Banten continue to flourish despite attempts at arrests, one of which is through the arresting operations conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission, often carried out. The impact of corruption is very hard on the social, cultural, economic, and political life of the Banten people. Corruption hinders investment by increasing costs and reducing certainty in the business environment. The negative impact of efficiency is by diverting economic resources from public coffers to private pockets and from efficient projects to inefficient ones. 

While the political dynasty in Banten destroyed the concept of democracy. In a democratic society, people are given various choices of candidates to choose leaders to meet the qualifications. But when members of the same family control the government and they are still re-elected, democracy is destroyed. Although the people chose the leader of the political dynasty that could be ascertained in large part because of the purchase of votes from the lower line of Banten society. As a result, candidates with little money machines cannot compete with dynastic political families. I am not saying that all dynastic politics were all bad, but some of them have done a lot of harm to society because they destroyed the concept of democracy and they made the government out of the people. There will be an oligarchy. 

Lesson from China on Corruption 

In Banten's increasingly uncertain political conditions, the problem of corruption has always been a spotlight that is not endlessly discussed. Corruption can result in uneven development and create social inequality. Corruption in government is one of the practices of structural crime commonly called white-collar crime. The process of eradicating corruption in addition to requiring a law governing the problem of appropriate corruption also requires an independent institution that can carry out its functions in the process. 

Currently, China is implementing three steps to eradicate corruption, namely improving the bureaucratic system, increasing the investigation of civil servants, and overseeing power. Supervision at the level of government administration is carried out by the Ministry of Oversight, while internal oversight within the party is carried out by the Directorate of Discipline. As in Indonesia, although the Chinese government continues to carry out anti-corruption campaigns and the arrest of hundreds of officials, bribery, embezzlement and various forms of corruption still occur. This was possible because the party elite still controlled important industries such as banking, property, and manufacturing, and the central government could not control it. In fact, corruption in China is far greater than officially published. 

The last few Chinese leaders have proven that they are able to sacrifice personal interests. When Zhu Rongji became the first person in China in 1998, he told his aides to prepare 100 coffins: 99 for those who were corrupt and hampered China's painful reform efforts, and the rest for himself. Zhu Rongji may be a victim of his own program. In the end, Zhu Rongji was not killed, but after he left his post, he disappeared from public view. He gave back all personal authority so as not to become a burden to his successors. Zhu Rongji's attitude also existed in the former President of the 3rd Republic of Indonesia B.J. Habibie, I'm amazed at him not because of his inspirational film, but because of his attitude as a former president: no longer involved in power politics. 

Banten must learn a lot from China in fighting corruption. This is marked by the desire of former Banten Governor Rano Karno to establish a representative office for the Corruption Eradication Commission in Banten. In addition, democratic freedom of the press must continue to be supported as a central pillar in eradicating corruption. Because without involving the press, the people and civil society organizations in monitoring, the anti-corruption movement will not be effective and will always be filled with political interests. This is also always a problem in Banten. Hopefully, at the age of 19 years, Banten can continue to limit corruption and be free from political dynasties and democratic bandits.

*This article was once contested in an opinion writing contest Bantenku Bersih 2016