A year has passed since the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Amidst the fanfare of campaign promises echoing the strengthening of the rule of law and the eradication of corruption without discrimination, the public placed hope, albeit slim, on fundamental improvements. However, after twelve months, that hope proved to wither before it could blossom. Instead of witnessing strengthening, we are instead presented with a brutal regression. The evaluation of this one-year administration in the legal sector and corruption eradication cannot be concluded with any other word than: law enforcement is just empty talk. This government has completely failed to distinguish between rhetoric and action. Promises to strengthen law enforcement officials have remained mere jargon. In reality, what has happened is a systematic maneuver to use legal instruments for one purpose: consolidating power. This is a dangerous pattern.

Bad Signals: Stalled Asset Forfeiture Bill & Amnesty Discourse

The most blatant indicator of this stalled commitment is the fate of the Draft Law (RUU) on Asset Forfeiture. This bill should have been the ultimate weapon to impoverish corruptors. However, its discussion is stalled in the corridors of power. The stalling of this bill is a very clear political signal: there is no political will to eradicate…