Transparency International, in its most recent 'Corruption Perceptions Index' for 2018, ranked Indonesia 89th of 180 countries for corruption. It achieved a score of just 38 out of 100 from the NGO - the country's highest ever score - a result which signified that while things are slowly improving, corruption remains a massive problem in the country. In this context, the KPK's role as the body designed to find, fight and prosecute corruption (it fulfils all three roles) is vital. But it is regularly the source of criticism from other government bodies and institutions, to the point where even its own commissioners and investigators cannot operate safely. Earlier this year, for example, the homes of KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo and deputy chair Laode Muhammad Syarif were attacked with Molotov cocktails and the perpetrators of a 2017 acid attack on Novel Baswedan, one of the body's investigators, have still not been identified. And as a recent editorial in Tempo magazine noted, of the 1000 or so cases it has handled since 2002, 225 cases have involved politicians. And there's the rub.

The KPK has been too good at its job identifying politicians and other government officials who are corrupt, and the legislators are striking back. Loading Among the raft of changes to the KPK proposed there are measures that would limit its independence, require it to employ investigators only from Indonesia's (notoriously corrupt) police, new restrictions on the cases it can investigate, restrictions on its ability to wire tap suspects, with the imposition of an external supervisory board which would vet this process. At the same time, as the end of the five year term of the body's five commissioners approaches in December, there is dismay at the appointment of Firli Bahuri as the new KPK chairman because of accusations of ethics violations (which Firli denies) in his previous stint at the KPK, and while working for the South Sumatra police. So what is Indonesian president Joko Widodo - who does have the power to stop the bill - doing?

The president has publicly disagreed with the proposal for investigators to only come from the police, and with the requirement that the KPK would have to coordinate with the Attorney-General's office, but he will allow the creation of a supervisory body - though he says he will ensure that those appointed will be academics and anti-corruption activists. If the KPK bill is passed into law ... it will be more difficult to investigate big corruption cases. Indonesian Corruption Watch coordinator Adnan Topan Husodo That's a slippery slope, as the next president may not follow suit. Public confidence in the popular president has taken a hit as a result of his handling of the matter. Meanwhile, Joko's own party, the PDI-P, supports the bill in the parliament as do a number of parties in the governing coalition, and in the opposition. Legislators hope to pass the bill as soon as this week.

Loading Indonesian Corruption Watch coordinator Adnan Topan Husodo is scathing of Joko's response to the proposed changes, describing it as "satire", and of the proposed changes to the body. "If the KPK bill is passed into law ... it will be more difficult to investigate big corruption cases. Maybe in the future, the KPK will only investigate small, easy cases. Maybe the number of cases investigated will drop. The president argues that he wants to strengthen the KPK by allowing through some of the proposed changes. The reality is the bill will do the opposite.

For a popular president about to begin his second term in office - and who does not have to face voters again because of a two term limit - Joko's weak response to this self-interested, self-protecting legislation has set a worrying precedent for the next five years. And all of Indonesia will suffer as a result.