Question Of Gotong Royong That Does Not Need To Be Reminded To Indonesians

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - To fight the corona virus pandemic or COVID-19 in Indonesia, the government requests that people can mutually help each other, even for those who are carrying out independent isolation.

However, there are things that are more important for the government to do to fight the spread of COVID-19 than to remind people to carry out mutual cooperation. Moreover, mutual cooperation is something that has become a habit of the Indonesian people.

Prior to the limited meeting related to COVID-19, President Joko Widodo had reminded the public to foster an attitude of mutual cooperation and help each other. This kind of attitude, he said, is very much needed in dealing with the current situation in the country.

"That mutual cooperation, participation to help can be grown from below and this is very important," said Jokowi before chairing a limited meeting, Monday, April 13.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta exemplifies the attitude of mutual cooperation carried out by the people of Cimahi, West Java. He said that in the region there is a group of people helping each other amid the spread of COVID-19.

"I was very happy yesterday to see for example in Cimahi. The harmony between neighbors is very good. The positive ones were isolated, but the neighbors helped, "he said.

I heard news about residents of a complex in Cimahi who tested positive for Covid-19 and were undergoing independent isolation, but their neighbors helped. It is not just isolating it, it is this kind of mutuality that we must continue to echo. pic.twitter.com/lmnLyA3I98

- Joko Widodo (@jokowi) April 13, 2020

Jokowi assessed that this attitude is actually more necessary than isolating other people when they carry out independent isolation after being declared symptomatic or even tested positive for the corona virus.

"Things like this, mutual cooperation like this, we continue to echo it so that really if there is independent isolation, if there are positive patients, who are in a village, they are not really isolated, but on their right and left can help, " he said.

Apart from Jokowi, the issue of mutual cooperation was also touched upon by the spokesman for handling COVID-19, Achmad Yurianto. In his press conference, he expressed his gratitude to the people who have been willing to work together and participate in making contributions to deal with the spread of the virus.

With the intention of working together and helping each other, Yuri - Yurianto's nickname - stated that currently the COVID-19 Task Force team had received donations from the community of up to Rp. 196 billion.

"Thank you Indonesian people wherever you are in the world. This shows the world that mutual cooperation is the main value of our culture, this is what we will continue to maintain because the nature of mutual cooperation is currently being tested, "Yuri said in a press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). , Monday, April 13th.

Quoted from ayosemarang.com, a number of residents in Ngemplak District, Sleman, Yogyakarta have worked together to help meet the needs of a family who was forced to undergo independent isolation after a member of their family tested positive for COVID-19. Assistance in the form of basic necessities and other necessities was delivered by the designated residents to the family's house who was carrying out independent isolation activities when needed.

Apart from that in Yogyakarta, this incident also happened in Sawah Besar, Jakarta. Quoted from Suara.com, residents provided assistance for three children who were forced to carry out independent isolation after their father died from COVID-19 and the mother is now being treated at the COVID-19 Emergency Hospital Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, Jakarta after testing positive for the same virus.

Independently, the community provided assistance in the form of meeting the needs for food, drinking, multivitamins, and other needs needed by the three children.

Then, other assistance is also often distributed independently by the community to those who are directly affected by the spread of the virus such as online motorcycle taxi drivers, hawkers, scavengers, beggars and others. The provision of this assistance was even done before there was a recommendation from the government.

So from these facts, Jokowi and his staff actually don't need to worry anymore about the mutual cooperation exam in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is agreed by sociologist from the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Tantan Hermansyah. He even said that Jokowi's appeal for mutual cooperation was trite and did not need to be conveyed because the community often did it.

"This suggestion can be said to be trite. Because the philosophy of mutual cooperation has been a part of Indonesian society for a long time, even Bung Karno has made it one of the basic parts of the country, ”said Tantan when contacted by VOI, Monday, April 13.

For him, there is something more important than mentioning what the community has often done, namely preparing steps against the spread of the corona virus in Indonesia.

"There is another big thing that is very urgent to do: massive mobilization to carry out tests to the public so that it can be mapped in detail who is affected by the COVID-19 virus and what is their status," said the sociologist.

The message for mutual cooperation also means Tantan if the government has begun to lag behind the spread of the virus that originated in the city of Wuhan, China. So, Jokowi wants the public to join in fighting the virus.

Even so, he reminded President Jokowi to continue according to his procedures, namely coordinating regulations between ministries and building a good system in the community so that the COVID-19 disaster can be resolved immediately.

This is because mutual cooperation cannot be a tool to give up the problems that must be faced. Moreover, according to Tantan, the mutual cooperation recommended by the authorities usually only resulted in temporary or temporary solidarity.

"It's different from the solidarity that grows because people really believe in the suggestion to help others. It is more attached, "he concluded.