Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Efforts Set Back Under Prabowo, Watchdog Warns
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Indonesia’s fight against corruption has demonstrably worsened in the first year of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming’s management, according to a new report from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW). Despite high-profile law enforcement actions and the recovery of significant funds – such as in the CPO corruption case – the organization argues these efforts are largely performative and ultimately undermine long-term progress in combating graft.
The report, released Tuesday, November 18, 2025, asserts that the current government is actively dismantling anti-corruption initiatives established as the 1998 Reform era. “In the span of one year,the Prabowo-gibran administration has turned the Reform agenda that has been ongoing since 1998 into a futile effort,” stated a researcher with ICW,Yassar Aulia.
ICW contends that the public perception of Prabowo as a strong figure in tackling corruption is a mischaracterization of reality. The organization identified three key factors contributing to the regression: the increasing normalization of political conflicts of interest, an expansion of presidential power, and the growing prevalence of patronage and cronyism.”This indeed occurred in previous administrations, but it has worsened in the era of Prabowo-Gibran, and it has only happened within a span of a year,” Aulia explained. “Imagine,27 years of Reform can be easily disrupted by an administration that has only been in power for a year.”
Cabinet Composition Raises Concerns
The formation of the “Red and White Cabinet” has drawn particular scrutiny from ICW, with the organization citing widespread conflicts of interest in its composition.The appointment of numerous deputy ministers to dual positions further exacerbates these concerns.
Erosion of Checks and Balances
ICW also criticized President Prabowo’s frequent use of executive discretion through Presidential Regulations and Presidential Instructions. According to the report, this trend indicates a growing tendency for the president to bypass established governance structures and diminish crucial checks and balances. “We see presidential instructions, presidential regulations, made unilaterally but with broad effects, increasing in number,” Aulia noted.
Unprecedented Presidential Interventions in Legal Cases
The report highlights unprecedented interventions by President Prabowo in legal enforcement, specifically citing the granting of amnesty and abolitions in corruption cases before final rulings by the Supreme Court. “But the President stepped in. Because there is no justifiable description, it is difficult not to factor in politics,” Aulia saeid. “The unilateral decisions by the President are dangerous and even signal that law enforcement can be taken over by the President, based on his political discretion.”
Controversial Hero Designation for Soeharto
Further fueling concerns about the administration’s commitment to anti-corruption efforts was the decision to bestow the national hero title on former President Soeharto. ICW strongly opposed this move, arguing that Soeharto’s legacy is inextricably linked to the systemic corruption that plagued Indonesia during the New Order regime. Aulia maintained that honoring soeharto is tantamount to “whitewashing” the widespread corruption that defined his era.
These actions, ICW emphasizes, have all occurred within the first year of the Prabowo-Gibran ad
