COVID Goes Crazy, Emergency PPKM Applies, Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar To Deddy: I'm 21 Years Old In Kopassus, Lucky To Have Mr. Jokowi

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, assessed that the community still lacks discipline in implementing the Implementation of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM) in Java and Bali which took effect on Saturday, July 3.

This was said by Luhut in the Deddy Corbuzier podcast uploaded via YouTube, Tuesday, July 6.

"If we are all disciplined on the road (PPKM, ed). This is the problem we see that there is no discipline. We like to still sing with our own thoughts. This is loud, not loud, when in fact this is something (COVID-19, ed) nothing can be done guess", said Luhut.

The four-star general admitted that the pandemic was very difficult to fight. The reason is, anyone never knows whether they will be exposed to the deadly virus or not.

"I've been a soldier in Kopassus for 21 years, we know our enemy from here, right, we don't know where our enemy is, when, everywhere he is. So if you say this is sterile (Deddy podcast room, ed) but we never know", said Luhut.

The Deputy Chair of the COVID-19 Handling Committee also assumed that people who were positive for COVID-19 could infect healthy people. Therein lies the responsibility of the sufferer to family members or other communities.

"So if I'm wrong because I got hit, that's okay, but if it's because of me that Deddy got hit, the others will be hit, this is our moral responsibility for humanity, so that's actually where it is", explained Luhut.

Luhut also explained that the government was not always oriented to the economy in handling COVID-19. However, the government really thinks about the risks and economic impacts on the small people on the policies it decides.

"So if someone talks, why is the president only talking about the economy, no. The president is not talking about the economy, but the people, it's the little people who suffer the most if it lasts a long time," said Luhut.

"But the people involved don't dare to make decisions, no. The president asked us to talk about balance, where is the equilibrium, it's not easy. It's easy to say but it's not reality", he continued.

Furthermore, Luhut admitted the lack of consistency in the current government policies. He alluded to many intellectuals who could be leaders but did not set a good example.

"Well, if you're already a leader, you have to be loyal to the system, to your previous position. If you don't set a good example, what about your people?", he asked.

"When I see my boss, who is a businesswoman, left and right of his wife and children, I also think that it's okay for me to come too. By the way, that's natural", he said.

When asked by Deddy about the corruption of social assistance in the midst of the pandemic, as well as the assumption that the people were being manipulated by the government, Luhut did not explain it clearly.

According to him, Indonesia is lucky today because it has a figure like President Joko Widodo.

"But fortunately we are like Mr. Jokowi. Fortunately, at least we don't imitate a leader who is not right. Because the president is not a thief, we are also thinking about not being a thief", said Luhut.