City Hall Complaints Table History: How Governor Ahok Solves Jakarta Residents' Problems

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta government has never run out of ideas in contact with its citizens. They often open the complaint funnel in various ways. Some rely on newspapers. There are also those who rely on complaints through blusukan warnings.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) has his own way. The Governor of DKI Jakarta from the 2014-2017 era opened many complaint rooms. Jakarta residents can complain via text message. There is also the most popular study is to open a complaint desk at City Hall.

Efforts to lead DKI Jakarta are never easy. The leader must be able to quickly read what problems his citizens face. However, each leader has their own way. In the past, when Ali Sadikin carried out blusukan recitation and actively read newspapers.

The governor of Jakarta in the era of 1966-1977 made visits to various places incognito, from terminals to villages. The rest of Ali's day often monitors newspapers to see complaints from Jakarta residents.

The study made him able to formulate appropriate policies. The current-era Jakarta leader like Joko Widodo (Jokowi) also did the same. The Governor of DKI Jakarta 2012-2014 chose the blusukan option.

This option is often done so that it can absorb many aspirations from Jakarta residents. It's different from Ahok's representatives. Ahok rarely chooses the blusukan option. Ahok mostly chooses to use contemporary information technology.

He received complaints via the Jakarta Smart City website. The rest, he often shares three stories with Jakarta residents. The numbers are managed directly by his assistant. The assessment was carried out so that the residents of Jakarta immediately sent their complaints via text message (SMS).

This option is a favorite complaint place for Jakarta residents. This is because Jakarta residents don't have to bother using extra personnel. Jakarta residents just have to sit back. Go to your cell phone and type a complaint. Ahok often reads his complaints directly.

Complaints that come in will be handled one by one. However, there is no time for sure when the complaint can be done. It can be handled immediately, it can also wait for time.

"No wonder, the number of incoming SMS is enough for us to be surprised. In 2013 there were 16 thousand complaints that came into Ahok's hotline number and those that were responded to were around 50 percent. The SMS that entered from January 2014 to June 2014 was recorded at around 11,625 SMS. Ima Diah, one of Ahok's assistants, in July 2014 told reporters that SMS entered was around 500-1,000 messages per day.

"The message content is not only complaints related to public services and public facilities, but there are also those that contain SMS stray, expression of love, expression of rejection and complaints about parents forcing their children to give grandchildren. The most unique thing is that one time a resident asks for a mate," said Meicky Shoreamanis Panggabean in Ahok's book: Healthy Political Sense (2016).

Ahok's complaint system is increasingly diverse. He doesn't just provide complaints by utilizing technology. He also thinks sometimes people need to meet face to face. They want to state their problem directly to their people.

As a result, Ahok maintained his complaint desk at the City Hall Hall Hall Hall from the Jokowi era. Ahok then modified it by providing four sets of Betawi-style wooden tables when he took up his position as Governor of DKI Jakarta. The table is a place for Jakarta residents to submit their complaints one by one.

The presence of the complaint table is not only a symbol of closeness between leaders and the people. However, those who come feel that their problems can be resolved if they complain directly to Ahok. The advantage of the complaint table method allows Jakarta residents to immediately find a solution.

Usually the complaint table opens from jams to 10:00. Those who don't get their turn can come the next day. Ahok went straight to the complaint. However, if the complaints start, Ahok will immediately invite his subordinates to record complaints.

Ahoknya pun selalu enthusiastically mendengar keluhan warga Jakarta. Apalagi, saat ia mengetahui jika kesalahan yang justru ada pada anak buah. Kadang saat itu saat itu juga emosi Ahok puncak dan warga Jakarta melihat Ahok sebagai pemimpin yang galas dalam melihat keadilan.

The complaint table policy continued when Ahok led Jakarta. The mainstay policy only passed away when Anies Baswedan became the new leader of Jakarta. The governor of DKI Jakarta from the 2017-2022 era chose other complaint options, rather than the citizens of Jakarta who bother having to come to City Hall.

"In short, the meeting from 18:00, that afternoon was only finished at around one night. That must also be expressed by his assistant, because tomorrow morning at 08:00 he must be at City Hall to receive complaints from residents. The next morning I checked the news, he was already present at City Hall, even though the meeting lasted until late at night," said Renny Fernandez in Ahok's book in their Eyes (2017).