It is ironic that some of Indonesia’s richest people are often its most corrupt, while those who have very little money often have the most integrity.
Mulyadi, a 32 year-old cleaner who works at Kota Kasablanka mall in South Jakarta, is a fine example of that. On May 26, Mulyadi was tasked with cleaning a toilet in the mall. There, he found a closed leather bag that was left behind. Instead of opening it and taking its contents, Mulyadi did the honorable thing of taking the bag to the mall’s customer service.
“I didn’t open it, I found out when the bag was opened by customer service. I was shocked to find that it contained Rp 100 million. I didn’t dare open it, whenever I find wallets or anything else I always take it to customer service,” Mulyadi said, as quoted by Detik.
Thankfully, the bag was returned to its rightful owner. Mulyadi spoke of the importance of being honest.
“From when I was little my parents always pushed me to do good. Even if we don’t have much, it’s better to work hard,” he said.
Saut Situmorang and Laode M. Syarif, deputy chairmen of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), both paid Mulyadi a visit at Kota Kasablanka on May 9 to award his honesty with a pin and anti-corruption books from KPK. The commission hopes that Mulyadi’s story can inspire others to do good.
While the pin and books probably aren’t worth nearly as much as Rp 100 million, it’s still a priceless reminder that good, honest hard working people like Mulyadi still exists in Indonesia.
A version of this article is available in Bahasa Indonesia at our sister site Coconuts Indonesia.
