Mahfud MD: Corona Is Like A Wife

Menko Polhukam Mahfud MD (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOi)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) spoke about the new normal lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic which is currently being echoed by the government.

He took the philosophy from a meme sent from the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, if living with COVID-19 is like living with a wife who after marriage must be able to adjust to one another.

"Yesterday I got a meme from a friend. From Pak Luhut Pandjaitan. The title, in English, is corona is like your wife. In easily you try to control it, then you realize that you can't," he said in an online halalbihalal activity. which was broadcast on the YouTube account of Sebelas Maret University (UNS) Surakarta, Tuesday, May 26.

"Corona is like your wife. When you want to marry, you think you can conquer her but after being your wife, you can't conquer her. Than you learn to live with it. Well, that's it," he added.

This assumption, said Mahfud, is tantamount to living in a new normal way amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This new normal, he continued, must become a habit because this pandemic is not something that can be avoided because people cannot lock themselves up forever or stay at home.

As for the new normal, he means that when people return to work, they must still pay attention to health protocols such as wearing masks, maintaining distance, and washing hands.

Moreover, this has been regulated in the Decree of the Minister of Health Number HK.01.07 / MENKES / 328/2020 which contains guidelines for preventing COVID-19 in the workplace.

"Well tomorrow, new normal live in that way. Because it is impossible, he said, I have read this in various journals, now it is precisely the ones that kill more because people are locked down," he said.

In addition, the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) also asked the public not to be overly afraid of COVID-19. The reason is, from the data he reads from a media, every day in Indonesia an average of 4,884 people die. While people died from COVID-19, from January to March in an average day only 17 people.

"The death rate due to traffic accidents is nine times more than that of corona. Many times more people die from AIDS and diarrhea. In the world who die from diarrhea for 131 days, 560,000 who die from corona are only 280,000. Those who died of cancer were only 280,000. 3 million people, "he said.

So, people should not need to be afraid of this virus but remain vigilant. Moreover, he claimed, the government had anticipated the existence of this virus in Indonesia and denied that the government had not been serious in solving this pandemic.

New normal has been taken into account

Menkopolhukam Mahfud MD also emphasized that before the implementation of the new normal or the new normal life, the government had carried out various calculations or mathematical models.

In fact, he said, in a cabinet meeting, government officials had discussed three mathematical models for planning this new normal life. "One was submitted by the Head of Bappenas, then one from the KSP. Found everyone," he said.

Mahfud also said, currently there are areas that have a reproduction rate or the virus transmission rate below 1, one of which is Jakarta. He said, DKI Jakarta the transmission rate is now 0.9 or below the existing target. Thus, this new normal discourse became the government's goal.

"Because of what, we can't do that. People can't sell. You can't buy, you can't," he said.

He also realizes that this discourse raises pros and cons, some even say that a new normal life means mass murder because it is dangerous. However, he claimed, the government would have taken the best policy. So, he asked people to get used to facing this new normal.

"Like I said earlier. Corona is like your wife. In easily you try to control it, then you realize that you can't. Than you learn to live with it," he concluded.