Like this:

It happened just in front of my own nose and there is nothing I can do. I hate myself for doing nothing about it and just let my self taken along in it. The first experience of me, in corrupting (this is my confession for all of those who did the same), was in the Junior High School. You know that the pocket money of a student just never enough? At least it happens to me. And I am sure that you know how teens want to get more attention from their peers by being and acting exclusive (I feel stupid already)?

So, to get the image that I came from one wealthy family, I should have enough pocket money and enough spending to support (give result) the image. And how did I find the financial source for the project? I found the opportunity to raise additional pocket money from the semester books expenses (I know I try to make it Economic-like). The proposals that received by the Financial Department (read = my mother) for books purchasing was lifted for about IDR 500 to 1,500 for LKS and upward IDR 5,000 for text books. Just for your info, an additional of IDR 500 for a week is a premium additional for my pocket (the daily pocket money back then was IDR 500/school day), but today, the pocket money of an elementary school student who still in the 2^nd grade has reached IDR 10,000 per day. What a waste of money….

Well, that was my first attempt of corruption (which kept happening until I graduated from High School). Being honest, telling you what happened in my past beside it is a little embarrassing, it just lifted my mood up from the hate of corruption habit. So the second paragraph could tell you how the corruption was being crystallized with the daily life of us (do not be worry or hesitant, I represent all of us) or in Englished-Bahasa, bleed and fleshed (mendarah daging, Bahasa).

So, the main reason why I write it is that I cannot keep it just in my mind about what have happened around me. The first experience of mine in corruption act toward the society system was my bike-driving license (SIM C). Different with others, how I managed to get my driving license was by nembak (bribing, local term); and by doing it all I have to do in the Police Dept was get in the line for having my face captured by the camera there and went home without a single touch to the field where the real test held.

Another experience was when I lost my wallet and made the report for it. Just after I finished reported what I lost and everything the officer asked me, he then asked me for administration fee.

When I asked him “Berapa, Pak? (How much it cost, Officer?)”

He answered, “Seikhlasnya saja… (Up to you…)”

I got confused for 5 seconds and nodded for a sign of understanding, and then grope a piece of IDR 10,000 in my pocket. Me and my uncle were looked each other and smiled for couple seconds in the way out from the office.

That was another contribution of mine toward the corruption in the society system. And believe me, since that experience I have promised my self not to have any businesses with the policemen (anyone?) to avoid from me giving more contributions toward the corruption in the society systems.

The recent that just happened and made me write this was about the distribution of LPG and the gas-stove for the government program of gas conversion. So the story began couple months ago.

There were 2 pieces of paper to be filled with data in our house for the economic power and the usage of gas, petrol or firewood. I filled the data with the real condition in my house that we do not need any free gas or gas stove from the government because we have the capability. But then when my mother’s brother (simply, my uncle) came and checked them up, he said that I should not filled them that way or we will not received the free LPG and gas stove. When I argued that we do not need that and that was not our right, he told me that even the family who are more prosperous than us still received it. I told him that is not right. That day, the decision was, we will skip the opportunity.

The other day with about 1-2 months interval from the forms rejection, 2 other forms came to the house (fyi, the house inhabitants are holding two family group, Dad’s and Grandpa’s). The courier told us to submit them in the next day. The same act was done to not submit them so we will not accept the program in our house.

I do not know how, but yesterday I found 3 kg LPG in the kitchen and just this morning found the mini gas stove. So I asked my mom and she told me that we still received them though we did not asked to. I asked her to put it back and return them. But I still heard the resistant in her voice. To act the right here, in this case, will give you the image of hypocrite between people in the society. I guess that was why there still some resistant in her voice agreeing my suggestion.

What do you think? Can we really eliminate the corruption? The society said that they want the corruptor to get the dead penalty while in the same time they said that they want to cut their head off? In my opinion, the biggest contribution of corruption is not from the people who they called mice in tie (tikus berdasi, Bahasa term), but from the society who support these mice to corrupt with the expectation they will get benefits from it.

Gosh, when do we will really be a free independent nation?

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