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Ministers' blunders may erode public trust in Jokowi
Firman Noor - Head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences' Political Research Center (firmannoor
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Firman Noor - Head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences' Political Research Center (firmannoor.com)
As President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration handles crisis after crisis in the first five months of his second term in office, some of his aides have been criticized for public statements that have caused anxiety and distrust in the government.
Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has been criticized for his lack of transparency and sluggish efforts to test for and trace the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while other countries have scrambled to improve public health measures to contain the global outbreak.
While declaring the country virus-free and asking people to keep praying, the minister did not carefully trace potential cases despite reports that certain foreign travelers who had transited in the country had later tested positive for the virus.
The first two confirmed COVID-19 patients, who are a mother and daughter, were discovered after both took the initiative to seek medical care.
The poor handling of the cases has sowed international distrust. Saudi Arabia has banned Indonesian umrah (minor haj) pilgrims from the country despite Indonesia having had no confirmed cases at the time of the ban. International media have also reported the diplomatic community’s distrust of Indonesia’s claim it was free from the outbreak.
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"The President must evaluate the members of his Cabinet."
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The government responded to the criticisms of the minister by centralizing coronavirus efforts by all ministries and institutions under the Executive Office of the President, especially in handling communication with the public.
The public health crisis was not the only case in which Cabinet members showed a lack of transparency. In January, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly came under fire for announcing the wrong information on the whereabouts of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Harun Masiku, who had been named a suspect in a graft case.
The minister, who is also a PDI-P member, said that Harun, who is suspected of bribing General Election Commission (KPU) member Wahyu Setiawan, was in Singapore while he was, in fact, in Indonesia.
The ministry’s then-director general of immigration, Ronny Sompie, was dismissed from his post due to the scandal.
Firman Noor, head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences' (LIPI) Political Research Center, warned that the ministers' poor communication could have a major impact on public trust in Jokowi's administration.
"Blunders occurred many times during Jokowi's first term, but [the second term] looks more worrying because it's been a little over 100 days, but things have been messed up to this extent. This must be prevented early on. The President must evaluate the members of his Cabinet,” he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Public trust in Jokowi is still very high. A recent survey by Indo Barometer found that 70.1 percent of respondents were satisfied with Jokowi’s performance. Overall, Jokowi’s approval ratings have climbed steadily over his tenure, from 57.5 percent in 2015 to 66.4 percent in 2017 to 70.1 percent in 2020.
But with continuously poor performance by his ministers, Jokowi might soon be in trouble.
Firman said the government did not appear to have a strategy to prevent ministerial blunders, and Jokowi seemed to still be observing his new ministers.
"It takes time for them to be aware and careful, indeed, but the President should reprimand them anyway because it’s critical,” he said, adding that Jokowi also needed to evaluate high-ranking officials at the State Palace, including his spokespeople.
"This also goes for the spokespeople. During Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's tenure, the president's spokespeople, Julian Aldrin Pasha and Dino Patti Djalal, seemed less controversial than Fadjroel Rachman [Jokowi’s current spokesman]," said Firman.
In December, the hashtag #GerakanBlokirFadjroel (Block Fadjroel Movement) trended on Twitter, triggered by the tweets of a number of internet users who claimed to have been blocked by Fadjroel for criticizing the government.
Indonesian Public Opinion and Discussion Group (KedaiKOPI) executive director Kunto Adi Wibowo said if the public did not trust the government, it would make the situation even worse.
"Especially now that the public has many channels of information, not just the mass media [...] When public officials appear to be hiding something, the people’s trust will drop," he said.
Other ministers have also made statements that have stirred public controversy.
Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy sparked public anger last month after he suggested the country's rich people should marry those from low-income families to reduce Indonesia's poverty rate.
He said issuing a fatwa to require such cross-class marriages could be a solution.
Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi also drew ire when he said he supported a ban on the niqab in government compounds. Other public figures have disapproved of the proposal, demanding that the government respect the sartorial choices of Muslim women.
