Fulbrighters Taufiq Ismail and Eka Budianta were among the poets participating in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sponsored Anti Corruption Poems book launching event at the KPK Headquarters in Jakarta on Friday, September 27, 2013.  

This is the third compilation on the same subject since May 2013 with more than 100 poets contributing.   KPK Chair Abraham Samad stated that “… arts is a universal language, and for that reason, anti corruption campaign could also be done by way of the arts media including poems…”

Taufik Ismail stated that the launched “Poems against Corruption” book is a compilation of excellent pieces.  He read his poem entitled “Be Ashamed of Corruption” that evening.

Eka Budianta invited the audience to sing along “It’s Time for Honesty to Lead This Nation.”  He stated that KPK is the only state institutions which has initiated the compilation work of the anti corruption poems for the sake of the future of the nation.  “Through the poems we could have a better understanding of our state, officials, and Indonesian sociaty.”

(from various sources:  Berita Hukum, Riau Pos, Sindonews, and Kontan)