President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has ordered law enforcement authorities to take strict action against anyone violating health protocol.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·5 minutes read
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The President has instructed the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police and the Covid-19 mitigation task force to take firm action against anyone violating Covid-19 health protocol. He emphasized that the safety of the people was the highest law and had to be used as a guideline. A number of groups, such as Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, supported the state in its intention not to give in to those violating the health rules.
This instruction was conveyed by the President while chairing a limited meeting to discuss the report of the Committee on Mitigating Covid-19 and National Economic Recovery at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (16/11/2020) morning.
About six hours after the meeting, the head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police, Insp. Gen. Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono, announced that National Police chief Gen. (Pol.) Idham Azis had removed Insp. Gen. Nana Sujana from his position as the head of the Jakarta Police and Insp. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi from his position as the head of the West Java Police. This action was taken because they had not carried out orders of the National Police chief to enforce health protocol in their areas.
"I want to emphasize that the people\'s safety is the highest law. During this pandemic, we have implemented social restrictions, including the dispersal of crowd. Therefore, we must continue to enforce discipline to implement health protocol,” said President Jokowi.
Reminding regional leaders
The President also asked the Home Minister to remind – and, if necessary, to reprimand – the regional leaders to be examples in implementing health protocol. "Don\'t even join the crowd," said the President.
Firmness in enforcing health protocol is important, because the mitigation of Covid-19 in the country is said to continue to improve. The hard work of the health workers in taking care of Covid-19 patients should be appreciated. "Do not let what doctors, nurses, medical personnel and paramedics have done become useless because the government is not strict," said the President.
According to Kompas observation, the authorities do not only impose fines on violators of health protocol but have also criminalized them. This was seen when the Tegal Police named the deputy chairperson of the Tegal City Legislative Council (DPRD), Wasmad Edi Susilo, a suspect after holding a celebration that caused crowding on 23 September.
Home Minister Tito Karnavian also reprimanded 81 regional leaders for violating health protocol that led to crowding on Sept. 4-6 as candidates registered their participation in the 2020 regional elections.
The government deplores the violation of health protocol in the implementation of the wedding ceremony in Petamburan.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD said at a press conference after the closed meeting that, in the past week, there had been a significant increase in Covid-19 cases. At the same time, there had been crowds in Jakarta, West Java and the surrounding areas.
He was referring to crowds of supporters of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Muhammad Rizieq Shihab. On Saturday (14/11), Rizieq held a wedding ceremony for his daughter in Petamburan, Central Jakarta. This event was attended by his supporters. "The government deplores the violation of health protocol in the implementation of the wedding ceremony in Petamburan," said Mahfud.
The government has also asked security forces to act more firmly against violators of health protocol. "The government will also impose sanctions on officers who are unable to firmly ensure the implementation of health protocol," said Mahfud.
Argo Yuwono said the police would investigate the alleged violation of health protocol at the wedding reception for Rizieq\'s daughter. Investigators have sent letters to several parties for clarification, one of whom is Rizieq. "This is our plan to clarify the alleged criminal act [related to] Article 93 of Law Number 6 of 2019 concerning health quarantine," said Argo.
Responding to Mahfud\'s statement, FPI lawyer Aziz Yanuar, through a short message, said the government should also be able to set an example in upholding justice.
He gave an example of the coordination meeting at the ministerial level in Bali last July, where, he claimed, health protocol had been breached. "Activities violated the health protocol, but there were no sanctions, fines or removal of local police officers," said Aziz.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said his administration had been firm in enforcing health protocol. A warning letter had been sent by the mayor of Central Jakarta. Then, within 24 hours of the crowding, action had been taken. A fine of Rp 50 million was imposed on Rizieq.
Enforcing the rules
In its declared intention not to give in to health protocol violators, the state also received backing from a number of other parties, one being Muhammadiyah’s Central Executive Board.
"The government should be consistent in enforcing Covid-19 rules and protocols. The state should not give in,” said Muhammadiyah Secretary-General Abdul Mu\'ti.
The secretary-general of the Central Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama, Helmy Faishal Zaini, also encouraged firmness on the part of the government. "If the government is not firm, people will assume it means they can take similar action," he said.
If the government is not firm, people will assume it means they can take similar action.
Professor Azyumardi Azra of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University said all public figures of religious or community organizations should be role models for their organizations’ members.
Indonesian epidemiologist Dicky Budiman from Griffith University noted that a lot of evidence pointed to crowding as a source of transmission. A gathering of members of a religious congregation in Gowa, South Sulawesi, in March, for example, was believed to be a Covid-19 cluster causing more than 1,000 new cases in 22 provinces. "This also happened to members of a church in Lembang, which triggered transmission in many regions," he said.
Dicky said the Covid-19 situation in Indonesia was increasingly worrying, while no significant efforts were taken to deal with it.