President Jokowi: Wearing A Mask Is A Form Of Discipline

President Joko Widodo at an event at the Presidential Palace (Photo: Humas Setkab)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo appealed to 267 million Indonesians to always wear masks. Presidential Spokesman Fadjroel Rahman conveyed that President Jokowi said wearing a mask was a form of national discipline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"At a limited meeting, the President reiterated that the use of masks should truly be realized as a national discipline during the pandemic," said Fadjroel in a written statement, Tuesday, September 15.

He said President Jokowi had organized the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic through the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery in a measured manner in planning and implementation based on the principle of balancing the safety and economy of the community.

In order for this handling to run optimally, collaboration between the central government, regional governments and the community needs to be done. This collaboration can be done while strictly adhering to health protocols and this has been done by the majority of Indonesians by wearing masks, maintaining distance, and washing their hands.

With this growing public awareness, President Jokowi then continued to remind and invite all elements of society to make masks a habit in the midst of adapting to new habits in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are also grateful to God Almighty for the healing of 158,405 Covid-19 patients as of September 14, 2020. Let's continue to wear masks together to protect ourselves, protect our beloved country, the Republic of Indonesia," he said.

Previously, in a limited meeting with the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery, President Jokowi had asked his staff to improve discipline enforcement in carrying out health protocols, especially using masks and maintaining distance.

Related to this, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD allowed the police apparatus to take firm action against the public who violated the health protocol.

"We have found a formulation that does not need a government regulation in lieu of a law (perppu), but uses the Criminal Code," Mahfud said when speaking at the National Webinar: 6 Months Evaluation and One Year Projection for Handling COVID-19 in Indonesia virtually, Saturday night.

He then emphasized, "The point is that now the police are given the task. I have given the task as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs to order it. Anyone who opposes will be arrested," as quoted from Antara, Sunday, September 13.

However, he continued, the action against people who violated health protocols was not because they did not wear a mask, but against officers when told to use a mask.

"Well, we better look for it in these ways. This strict action is to suppress the spread of COVID-19," said Mahfud.

In the Health Law, said Mahfud, it also stipulates that if you harm others because of this disaster, there will be a penalty.

"Well, this is what will start to be done. I have started communicating to give shock therapy (which violates). Arrest people if they do anything. But of course the government will provide masks for the community," said Mahfud.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court added that the government deliberately did not issue a perppu in enforcing health protocols considering that the issuance of the perppu takes a relatively long time. "Moreover, if DPR members do not share the government's viewpoint," he said.