Jokowi Denies COVID-19

JAKARTA - The day before Indonesia recorded one million cases of COVID-19, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressed his gratitude. According to him, the government has overcome two crises due to the pandemic: health and economy. Some people consider Jokowi to be denial or full of refutation. What could be the reason?

"We are grateful that Indonesia is one of the countries that can control these two crises well," said Jokowi while giving a virtual speech at the Complete Workers Council Session of the Fellowship of Churches in Indonesia (MPL-PGI) Monday, January 25.

However, Jokowi still warned that the pandemic problem was not over yet. He asked the public to remain disciplined in health protocols. He also relies on the alleviation of this pandemic problem on vaccines.

Director of the Center for Media and Democracy at the Institute for Economic and Social Research, Education and Information (LP3ES) Wijayanto criticized Jokowi's statement. According to him, the statement of the former Mayor of Surakarta was dishonest and tended to be denial.

Wijayanto explained, in the perspective of crisis communication theory, there are three important things that need to be stated. "Openness or transparency, honesty, and empathy," he said when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, January 27.

In the honesty factor, for example. Wijayanto said we need to acknowledge the fact that COVID-19 has reached one million cases. "And we are the highest in Southeast Asia and Australia. Our curve continues to climb and the peak is not clear yet."

Wijayanto said Jokowi should admit that our situation is getting worse and more dangerous. Jokowi's optimism is not completely wrong, as long as it is accompanied by information about the real situation.

"But somehow we must be optimistic or grateful ... But just being grateful is wrong. It makes us consistent in not being transparent and not being honest about the real situation," said Wijayanto.

In addition, Jokowi's statement that Indonesia has succeeded in controlling the health crisis due to the pandemic has no clear basis. Because Wijayanto said the facts did not match the data.

For example, referring to Our World in Data, Indonesia's daily cases of COVID-19 reached 11,748. The figures were the highest above Malaysia with 3,587 cases, the Philippines with 1,7514 cases, Thailand with 293 cases, Australia with 7 cases, and Vietnam with 1.4 cases.

Not only that. Wijayanto also said Jokowi's communication of gratitude towards the million cases of COVID-19 did not show empathy for the public. "It is clear we know that we are one of the worst in Southeast Asia and even in the Asia Pacific region including Australia."

Denial culture

The government's denial stance is considered to have taken root since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact is that we can easily find it in the mass media and even the Institute for Economic and Social Education and Information (LP3ES) recorded it.

In a book entitled Nestapa Demokrasi di Masa Pandemi: Refleksi 2020, Outlook 2021, Wijayanto explained, during 2020 government policies during the pandemic period prioritized the economy over human lives.

"That explains why the corona when it just arrived (in Indonesia) what happened was denial," said Wijayanto, one of the people who wrote the book.

The book noted that there were around ten government officials who from January to early March made denial statements regarding the new coronavirus. Even though at that time there was a warning from Harvard scientists, we even know that the COVID-19 case is already in the neighboring country, Singapore.

Then, on May 7, when the COVID-19 case was not yet rampant, Indonesia even imposed a new normality policy. At that time, Jokowi visited a shopping center to show that economic activity was safe to do.

We can still say that the government's attitude is denial from many cases. During the 2020 simultaneous regional elections, for example. Even though there were many warnings including LP3ES that the event was dangerous to a pandemic, the government did not budge.

"It is true, the Regional Election took place and suddenly the explosion [of the COVID-19 case], although there were also New Year and Christmas moments. However, that means, during the holidays the government does not have strict protocols," said Wijayanto.

Apart from the Regional Election, government denials were also seen ahead of Eid. When the public is confused by conflicting government statements regarding the prohibition of homecoming (mudik). The public is confused about why homecoming is prohibited while going hometown (pulang kampung) is allowed. Even though in general the two terms are similar.

"He said those two were different things. However, it was later denied by his minister that the terms were the same. This shows that political-economic interests are more dominant compared to save people's lives," said Wijayanto.

Apologizing is not our culture

Director of the Center for Media and Democracy LP3ES Wijayanto said that the government's denial style of communication has become his character. "Until now, how come he's still not awake? I mean, the way to solve the problem is to admit that there is a problem."

From a political perspective, the government should apologize for its inability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. But unfortunately, "apologizing is not a tradition of our politics," said Wijayanto.

Wijayanto discusses why apologizing is not a tradition of this nation's politics. According to him, in Javanese culture, leaders are considered as the head of the family and as parents who are never wrong. "So the parent never apologizes to the child."

Meanwhile, Jokowi said Wijayanto was a Javanese leader from Surakarta. Therefore, he predicts that it will be difficult for Jokowi to apologize.

"Except for the Javanese leader who has left his Javanese culture. But Jokowi is a true Javanese leader. So that apology, in my prediction, will never be done," he concluded.