Indonesia: The rot behind Reformasi

When Indonesian President Suharto resigned on May 21, 1998, it marked the end of his longtime dictatorship and the start of a new era known as Reformasi (Reformation) for Southeast Asia’s largest and most populous country.

Although Indonesia emerged as a fledgling democracy out of street protests that took place amid a regional financial crisis and brought about the fall of Suharto, deep-seated graft still gnaws away 25 years into Reformasi. Among other things, the proponents of Reformasi sought to end rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism as well as increase accountability and establish the rule of law.

Indonesian authorities this week arrested yet another cabinet minister – the fifth since President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo came to power nine years ago – for his suspected role in a graft case that caused more than half a billion U.S. dollars in state losses, officials say.

Ridding government of corruption was one of the main planks in Jokowi's campaign platform before he was first elected president in 2014.