Constitutional Justice Saldi Isra speaking at the KPK Library Workshop on Thursday (13/12) at the KPK Merah Putih Building, Jakarta. Photo by Humas MK/Bayu.

Constitutional Justice Saldi Isra was one of the speakers at the KPK Library Workshop on “Corruption: Seeking Meaning, Finding Implications” at the KPK Merah Putih Building, Jakarta, Thursday (13/12/2018). Also speaking at the event were KPK Deputy Chairperson Laode M. Syarif, author and instructor of Driyarkara Philosophy College (STF) Herry Priyono, and Muslim Scholar Komarudin Hidayat. The workshop, which also served to launch a book by Herry Priyono, was aimed at encouraging the public to understand the meaning of corruption. Corruption is now considered a regular phenomenon and it continues to rise and involves all elements of the society, including the law enforcement.

Justice Saldi stressed that the book entitled Corruption: Tracking the Meaning, Listening to Implications (Korupsi: Melacak Arti, Menyimak Implikasi) offers something new by using a narrow meaning of corruption. He considers the book very helpful. "For example, in instilling anti-corruption awareness early on, maintaining the narrow meaning of corruption is no longer the answer to getting out of the trap of corruption. By attaching a broader meaning of corruption, it will be easier to explain the dangers of corruption," he said. He said as an academic work, the book offers a new foundation in understanding the meaning of corruption within anti-corruption movement.

For those concerned with corruption—lecturers, students, journalists, observers, to anti-corruption activists—this book must be an integral part in addressing the problem of corruption. The book has international value and can stand next to classic reference books such as The Sociology of Corruption by Syed Hussein Alatas. Justice Saldi also said that as the substance in the book is not readily available in reference books, it should be translated into English to reach international communities who are concerned with the issue of corruption. (Bayu/LA/Yuniar Widiastuti)