Tanri Abeng: Indonesia Must Have Strong Leaders To Overcome The COVID-19 Problem

Capture the screen of Former SOE Minister, Tanri Abeng during a virtual discussion, Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Mery Handayani / VOI)

JAKARTA - The corona virus pandemic or COVID-19 is increasingly spreading in the country. This condition makes Indonesia even more difficult. Therefore, according to the former BUMN Minister, Tanri Abeng, Indonesia is considered to need a strong leader who can regulate the work of his subordinates in dealing with the impact of this virus.

This management expert said, if one had to choose between strong management or a strong leader, he considered that what is currently needed is a strong leader. Because, one of the elements of management is leadership.

"At times of crisis like this, a very strong leader who is able to manage it is needed, otherwise the organization could be chaotic," he said, during a virtual Indef discussion, Tuesday, May 12.

Tanri assessed that in current conditions President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as the leader must look to the experts in the steering and executive team in the composition of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19. Because, currently the bureaucracy does not help solve problems.

The government, said Tanri, should learn from the United States (US) and Germany, which appointed experts in their fields to join the COVID-19 handling team.

"What is in this team is not a position, but expertise. Experts who need to accompany the team leader of the task force. Even if there is a steering team, it may not need too much, but they really can provide direction. In fact, the most important thing is in the implementation team. . He needs the most skilled people, "he said.

Not only that, Tanri also highlighted the involvement of the governor in the steering committee. Supposedly, he said, the governor should act as the executor of the policies decided by the center.

Tanri said, in a crisis like this time, it is not only necessary to have strong leadership, but also to be supported by authority.

"For the top leadership, the president has the same authority, including for example not following bureaucratic protocols, because if he wants to be fast it can only be done by the president," he explained.

Tanri said, if the handling of COVID-19 is delegated to the task force team, the team leader must be given authority. And the only one who can give authority is the president.

"The team leader of the task force must have the authority. If not, how can he be strong, and that comes from the president," he said.

Some names such as epidemiological statistician Pandu Riono and Sociologist Imam Prasodjo, he said, could be included as a team of experts in the composition of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19.

"There are these people who can be a resource and can be part of this committee team. Not a position, because it tends to be birocratic," he explained.

Remove Sectoral Ego

Tanri said that during this crisis all parties, both the central and regional governments, the steering committee and the task force team, had to be able to coordinate, starting with communication.

"Mamang has to be a team that works, it can't be done individually. So the sectoral ego can't enter and the bureaucracy can't. This is a crisis. We have to work together, we have to be one, we have to be one," he said.

According to Tanri, what each minister was doing related to handling COVID-19 was basically good. However, this is not good if there is no communication, so the results are confusing.

The communication between the central government and the DKI Jakarta Regional Government that often clashes and disputes, said Tanri, because it is not based on communication through good coordination.

"Actually, the rules of the game are clear and sometimes it is also related to budget allocation. That's why the regional government should also coordinate well with the central government in this matter. Don't go straight before there is an agreement again. Actually, it's just communication. What is difficult about this. ?, "he said.