Observers Said, Jokowi Warns Anies Through Tito About Handling COVID-19

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian came to City Hall to meet the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan (Photo: DKI Pemprov's Public Relations documentation)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian came to City Hall to convey several things related to the handling of the corona virus or COVID-19 to the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan.

In recent times, Anies seems to have conveyed his strategy to the public first, rather than President Joko Widodo in dealing with COVID-19.

After the meeting, Tito and Anies held a press conference. Tito emphasized to Anies that DKI Jakarta could not be determined with a lockdown or quarantine status for the nation's capital. This is because the lockdown status can only be done by the central government.

"In quarantine, (such as) readiness, for restrictions, regional quarantine and social restrictions in large numbers, it is the central authority," said Tito at the City Hall of DKI, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, February 17.

In the quarantine effort regulated in Law Number 6 of 2018 concerning Health Quarantine, there are seven things that must be considered. Starting from considerations of effectiveness, epidemic level, economy, social, culture to security.

With that much consideration, it will have an impact on absolute matters, namely the impact on the monetary and fiscal economy. So, referring to Law Number 23 of 2014, absolute matters fall under the full authority of the president.

"The President has conveyed, for regional quarantine issues, regional heads must consult with the central government and those who have been appointed by him are the Head of the COVID-19 Acceleration Task Force (Doni Monardo)," said Tito.

Anies has not yet stepped up to the decision to lock down Jakarta. However, there is one policy Anies considered wrong, namely reducing the time and number of Transjakarta, MRT and LRT buses. This, said Anies, is to reduce residents traveling from home using public transportation which has a high potential for transmission of the corona virus.

As a result, the situation at bus stops and stations was chaotic on Monday, March 16 morning and evening, at a busy time. many people complain because the queues enter so snaking to the streets. The policy that Anies finally revoked.

The arrival of Tito ordered Anies not to build up passengers because of restrictions on transportation modes.

"In order to implement a social distancing policy, so that in one bus or in one LRT and MRT in a carriage, the number of passengers should be reduced so that distances occur. Do not get pile up. Because it is so pile up, the risk of corona will be so high," he said.

A political observer from Al-Azhar University, Ujang Komarudin, assessed that Tito's visit to City Hall was a warning from the central government to the regional government.

One of his warnings was that the policy to restrict the transportation system between DKI and the center was out of sync. Anies limits the frequency of public transportation, such as TransJakarta, MRT and LRT, while the handling of the transportation mode managed by the central government, namely KRL, continues to operate normally.

Moreover, the meeting between Tito and Anies seemed unusual. Generally, a regional head who comes to the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs when discussing something, not the minister who comes to the office of the regional head.

"Jokowi, via Tito, is warning Anies," said Ujang when contacted by VOI.

"What Anies has done related to restricting public transportation is actually okay. However, implementation in the field is not working. The bad impact is not anticipated, so there are many queues and it is detrimental to the people," he added.