Mahfud MD: The Government Has Asked The Governor Of DKI To Remind Health Protocol Related To The Rizieq Event

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (DOK. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD emphasized that his party had warned DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan from the start to remind the health protocol for COVID-19 prevention related to Rizieq Shihab's activities.

Starting from the activities of the Prophet's birthday as well as the marriage of the son of the High Priest of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Rizieq Shihab, Najwa Shihab which was held on Saturday, November 14 last week.

This was conveyed by Mahfud in response to the large crowd at the event which was held in the Petamburan area, Central Jakarta.

"The government regrets the violation of health protocols at the implementation of the wedding ceremony and commemoration of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, where the government actually warned the Governor of DKI Jakarta to ask organizers to comply with health protocols," Mahfud told reporters at a press conference held at his office. , Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, Monday, November 16.

According to Mahfud, it is not the central government that has the authority to issue the warning. Based on the hierarchy of authority and laws and regulations, the regional government, in this case the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, has the right to act decisively regarding the implementation of health protocols to prevent COVID-19.

"Enforcement of health protocols in the capital city, once again, enforcement of health protocols in the capital is the authority of the DKI Jakarta provincial government based on a hierarchy of authority and legislation," he said.

Mahfud alluded to how the local government and all parties have endeavored to deal with a pandemic that has left thousands of people dead and hundreds of medical personnel killed while fighting. In addition, Mahfud also said that the government had also succeeded in making people aware of the importance of implementing health protocols.

"However, the real violation with the gathering of people in the past week can destroy all the efforts we have made in the last eight months," said the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.

Mahfud also denied that the government seemed to have closed its eyes by the massive violation of health protocols during the event. This denial came after the government heard a number of complaints from various circles of society.

Therefore, Mahfud asked regional heads throughout Indonesia without exception to take firm action in case of a crowd. Mahfud even repeated this statement three times.

"To the security apparatus, to the security apparatus, to the government security apparatus ask not to hesitate and to act decisively in ensuring health protocols can be carried out properly," he said.

If law enforcement officials hesitate to take law enforcement action against health protocol violators, Mahfud emphasized that the central government will not hesitate to impose sanctions. "The government will also impose sanctions on officials who do not act decisively in ensuring the implementation of the COVID-19 health protocol," he explained.

"The use of individual rights must not interfere with other communities, so it must be carried out in accordance with the rules of law so that the rules of the nation and state can run safely, harmoniously, peacefully and peacefully," he added.

It is known that the marriage of the daughter of the High Priest of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Rizieq Shihab, Najwa Shihab, which was held in a series of commemoration events for the Prophet's birthday which was held on Saturday night, November 14, is in the public spotlight. Apart from the fact that this event caused a crowd, recently the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government gave a warning until the sanction that had been paid by Rizieq was IDR 50 million.

After returning from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, November 10, the FPI frontman has a number of agendas including the marriage of his son, Syarifah Najwa Shihab, to Muhammad Irfan Alaydrus. This wedding was held at Rizieq Shihab's residence, Jalan Petamburan, Central Jakarta and the spotlight arose because health protocols were not followed there.

Even though there are a number of people, without exception Rizieq Shihab wearing masks and face shields or faceshields, still the crowd generated in this event is of concern to other people. From VOI's monitoring through Front TV, during the event, there was no one meter minimum distance according to the health protocol to prevent COVID-19. Apart from that, the committee also did not provide a marker of which places could be occupied and which were not.

The situation on stage is not much different from the situation below the stage where the congregation sits. The habib and ulama sat close to each other without maintaining a distance and did not appear to be wearing masks even though the committee continued to ask that all present wear masks.