Judicial Taskforce Wants to Maintain KPK’s Authority

tempointeractive, 25 February 2011

The Judicial Mafia Eradication Taskforce says the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) authority should not be weakened for any reason. “The KPK is very much needed because it is not easy to eradicate corruption,” said taskforce secretary Denny Indrayana at the KPK building yesterday.

He said the idea to reduce the KPK’s authority had been firmly rejected by the government. The government, he said, believes the KPK should have a solid and strong authority in investigations, lawsuits and wiretapping.

Cabinet Secretary to Air Out His Dispute With Broadcasters

Jakarta Globe, 25 February 2011

Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, who caused a stir with his call to boycott certain media organizations, has agreed to mediation with the groups in question but has ruled out issuing an apology. At a discussion hosted by the Press Council on Thursday, the secretary said he had made the controversial statement this week to put media organizations in their place.

“I criticized the media so that they don’t become institutions that [think they] can do no wrong,” he said. Dipo said he was often asked by discouraged foreign investors about the social conflicts and political bickering widely reported in some of the country’s media outlets.

No apologies: Cabinet Secretary

The Jakarta Post, 24 February 2011

Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam says he will not issue a formal apology for his recent statements regarding a government boycott of media outlets that were critical of President Susilo Bambang Yuhoyono. “No pardon. No apologies,” he said Thursday.

Dipo had previously threatened to halt the placement of government advertisements in three media outlets, and also block their access to information on the government.