Rizieq's Polemic That Led To Jokowi's Order To Warn Regional Heads For Negligence, Is That Enough?

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - The crowd at the wedding ceremony of the daughter of the High Imam of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) as well as the commemoration of the Prophet's birthday became the attention of the central government.

President Joko Widodo even held a limited meeting with the ranks of ministries and heads of state high institutions on Monday, November 16. The meeting was held closed. However, Jokowi's statement after the meeting gave a signal that he was upset with the crowd in Petamburan because of concerns over a spike in COVID-19 cases.

"I also ask the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) to remind, if necessary, reprimand regional heads, both governors, regents and mayors, to be able to provide good examples to the community. Don't even crowd around," said Jokowi.

"So, don't just give it an appeal, but it must be followed by concrete supervision and enforcement in the field," he said.

After a limited meeting entitled the Report of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (PEN), the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD gave a warning to the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan through a press conference.

In his press conference, Mahfud MD was accompanied by TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, Deputy Chief of Police, Komjen Pol Gatot Edhy Pramono, Head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan, and Chairman of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force Doni Monardo. Mahfud stated that the wedding ceremony and commemoration of the Prophet's birthday that was held by Rizieq Shihab in the Petamburan area, Central Jakarta on Saturday, November 14 was a form of violation of health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The government regrets the violation of health protocols at the celebration of the Prophet's Birthday in Petamburan, Central Jakarta," Mahfud said in a press conference at his office on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, Monday, November 16.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court emphasized that the central government was not turning a blind eye to the crowd that led to the violation. He said that his party had actually reminded the Governor of DKI Jakarta, who was deemed to have more authority to deal with these matters in accordance with the hierarchy and laws and regulations.

"The government has actually warned the governor of DKI Jakarta to ask organizers to comply with health protocols," said Mahfud.

"The enforcement of health protocols in the capital city, once again, is the authority of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government based on the hierarchy of authority and laws and regulations," he added.

Reprimand is considered insufficient

Political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Aisah Putri Budiarti or commonly known as Puput said that the government should give this kind of warning. President Jokowi is deemed appropriate to order Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian to reprimand any regional head who violates health protocol rules in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic without exception.

According to him, by giving this kind of reprimand and order, the central government has given a message that they have serious attention to preventing the spread of COVID-19. This also applies to the removal of two high-ranking Police officers, namely the Head of the Metro Jaya Police, Inspector General Nana Sudjana and the West Java Regional Police Chief Inspector General Rudi Sufahriadi, who are suspected of being linked to crowds in Petamburan, Jakarta and Megamendung, West Java some time ago.

Puput considered these things to have a deterrent effect. But he warned, it is necessary to see what happens after this reprimand and removal is done.

"The most important thing is the follow-up in the future. For example, will the new Kapolda be more assertive in preventing, prohibiting and taking action against violators of the COVID-19 protocol indiscriminately? Then will the Minister of Home Affairs also give a stern warning to regional heads who specifically violate them. they emphasized, "said Puput when contacted by VOI.

If there is no decisive action going forward, it is possible for the public to underestimate this assertiveness again. Thus, it is necessary for the government to truly prove their commitment to the future.

"If then the government is really firm and not just bluffing, I think the public will appreciate it and more seriously assess the importance of the health protocol for preventing COVID-19," he said.

Executive Director of Indonesia Political Review (IPR), Ujang Komarudin, said that the government should not be satisfied with giving warnings to regional heads as ordered by Jokowi to Tito.

According to him, the government needs to impose sanctions on those who violate the health protocol, including regional heads.

"Do not only dare to reprimand but also impose sanctions. It must be firm, it must be complete, with sanctions that are not discriminatory," he concluded.