JAKARTA - PDI-P General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri admitted that the Minister of Social Affairs, Tri Rismaharini, had been scolded by a regent.
Although he did not mention who the regent was, Mega said that Risma was scolded by the regent because he was considered not to communicate when providing assistance to residents affected by the disaster.
"Mbak Risma, the Social Minister, said to me, 'mother, the regent is angry with me'," said Megawati, imitating Risma's statement during a virtual speech at an event broadcast on PDI Perjuangan YouTube, Wednesday, August 4.
"Well, why is the regent so angry there," he added.
"Because she said 'why I (the regional head, ed) was not contacted'. Whereas Mbak Risma said, 'I have called many times'," said Mega again.
Hearing Risma's rant, he then asked Risma not to take it to heart. "I said, okay, miss. You don't have to take it to heart," he said.
From this incident, Mega considers that many parties in executive positions do not have a strong concern. This problem, he said, also occurred because of undirected command and communication during disaster management in the region.
Therefore, Megawati had time to convey the problems in the field to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). He asked his cadres to be more firm in determining who will be in command when a disaster occurs, especially if the emergency response status is enforced.
"I asked Mr. Jokowi, who in a situation, which I call an emergency response, gave the command. I said, 'You are the head of state who must directly (give the command, ed) because this is an extra-ordinary problem'. Please with all my respect. I don't mean to pretend to know, but this is our weakness," he said.
"This is our weakness, when a disaster occurs, paralysis occurs," added Megawati.
Megawati also mentioned the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. He said, currently the government has formed a special task force to carry out the handling.
It's just that, the facts in their field of work are pestered by many parties. "Please think about it. I want to tell Pak Jokowi who should be in command," he said.
"Right now, there is a pandemic task force. That should be it, yes (the one who handles it, ed) that's the way it is. But what I see in the field can all be said to be tactics. (struggling)," he concluded.
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