The Need For Responsibility After The State Office Disseminates Hoaks

JAKARTA - Commissioner for the Protection of Indonesian Children (KPAI) Sitti Hikmawatty apologized for his remarks that caused polemic in the community. The statement is, 'if a woman swims with a man, pregnancy can occur'.

Sitti apologized because his institution was dragged into his statement. He said that his statement purely came out of his own thinking, not on behalf of the KPAI. Sitti also withdrew the statement.

"I apologize to the public for giving an incorrect statement," Sitti was quoted as saying by VOI on Monday, February 24.

In fact, on June 16, 2019, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) once issued a statement that information about people getting pregnant after swimming is hoax. Kominfo once clarified the existence of a post on social media stating that a woman was pregnant after swimming in the pool.

This hoax was straightened out by the news jpnn.com, which wrote that an obstetrician and gynecologist from the National Hospital, Dr. H Bendera Hendri SpOG, said it was impossible for sperm to survive in a swimming pool. Therefore, sperm need media to survive. Meanwhile, in the swimming pool there is chlorine and other ingredients.

The same statement was also made by reproductive and IVF expert dr Hasto Wardoyo SP.OG. She emphasized that it is impossible for a woman to get pregnant in a swimming pool just because a man releases sperm in one pool. He also said that the information submitted by Sitti was misleading and misleading.

The Head of BKKBN assessed that sperm will soon die and cannot move actively if they are not in the medium. "Water is not a medium for sperm and in a few minutes it will die and will no longer be available," said Hasto to reporters when contacted, Sunday, February 23.

Warganet didn't hear Sitti's apology. Warganet instead made the hashtag #PecatSittiHikmawaty on Twitter. They wanted Sitti to be fired from his post.

Regarding the pressure to dismiss Sitti, Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI Ace Hasan Syadzily explained that it could not be done immediately. This is because there are mechanisms and rules that must be implemented.

"Regarding dismissal, of course it must be returned to the prevailing laws," Ace told VOI via text message, Monday, February 24.

Apart from that, Ace is also concerned about Sitti's knowledge. Sitti's statement can be assessed as his lack of understanding of reproductive organs.

The statement that came out of Sitti's mouth was judged by the Executive Director of the Voxpol Center for Research and Consulting, Pangi Syarwi Chaniago, as a form of official who could easily be swallowed up by hoaxes. Officials like this, are usually lazy to double-check the information received before submitting it back to the public.

"Our officials are also easily consumed by hoax issues. They are the same as uneducated and this is a problem for all of us, without cross-checking if we want to comment or speak, maybe it could be because our elite officials are lazy to read, so one of the causes," said Pangi when contacted. .

In addition, Pangi assessed that current officials tend to have no burden when misinformation and think that an apology to the public is sufficient. The proof, Sitti only apologized through a written statement.

Therefore, Pangi reminded President Joko Widodo to discipline public officials and his ministers so that incidents like this would no longer need to happen. Because, the more often public officials convey information carelessly, it will cause distrust.

"Do not make uproar and polemics, which distrust government officials and elites. Already those who comment spark polemics, pros and cons and noise that make the public opinion stage noisy," he concluded.