The 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service

RESPONSE of Teten Masduki

The honorable Chief Justice Hilario Davide, trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, distinguished guests, fellow awardees, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation for giving me such an honorable award. It is truly far beyond my imagination. Actually, I believe that what I have done so far deserves no immense appreciation. It is by no means extraordinary. I am just an ordinary man who cannot bear to keep my silence when people around me suffer because of severe abuses of power within our government.

Corruption is so rampant in our country. It has become a part of our lives. A lot of my countrymen and women don't realize that they live in a country rich in resources, but most of us live in poverty. This is because of corruption. The people are the victims. However, experience has taught me that people care more about their own personal gains, rather than our collective interest as a nation.

After President Suharto stepped down, we at the ICW started our endeavor to empower the people to fight against corruption. We simply provided the initiative. We began by receiving complaints against corrupt practices. We then used the media to expose these practices and forwarded the reports to legal offices.

Right from the start, I realized this is a heavy task. We had to institutionalize this movement to establish a strong foundation to combat corruption. People often think that our worst enemy is the big corruptors. But I think my worst enemy is myself. I often feel that I haven't achieved enough. Sometimes, this makes me very frustrated. When this happens, I amuse myself with a Javanese philosophy on luck, which in my own version says: "Perhaps not many corrupters have been convicted and sent to prison, but as long as I am not the one who goes to prison, I'm still lucky."

It is very fulfilling for me to see that the small seed we sowed has started to grow. Anti-corruption movements have recently spread throughout our country, even to small sub-districts. This reinforces my belief that anti-corruption has to be no less than a primary agenda for our whole nation.

Personally, therefore, this award is very significant for me. It will be one source of my strength, where I anchor my hope for a better future. It will drive me to work harder and more wisely. More importantly, it serves as a valuable symbol for the Indonesian people at large to be courageous in fighting against abuses of power.

On this very special occasion, I would like to also thank my family, friends and colleagues, donor organizations, as well as journalists. They have given us enormous support. Their trust opens a wider path for me in doing my work.

Once again, I thank all of you and the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Last but not least, I sincerely hope justice will prevail against the unjust.

Thank You and Mabuhay….