Governance During Pandemic: Swimming in Murky Water

Since 2020, all countries in the world have been rocked by the Covid-19 pandemic, and in July 2021, Indonesia became the epicenter of Covid-19 with the highest death rate in the world, with 2,048 people dying of the disease on 10 August 2021.

It\'s really hard not to compare the situation in our country with that in other countries. What can we do to relieve the pressure of this virus?

This pandemic has also increased the world\'s social and economic inequalities, which existed before the pandemic and have worsened since.

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If we look at how various governments around the world have handled the pandemic, there seems to be a continuum, from the type of government that is strict in responding to the pandemic, the type of government that is indecisive in its commitment to the pandemic and the type of government that decides to be soft and tends to liberate its people during the pandemic.

The governments of South Korea and Singapore tend to be very strict and cautious about the pandemic. South Korea, with the consent of its people, uses the most stringent and detailed tracing methods via mobile phone signals, tracks debit and credit card transactions and uses facial recognition from street cameras. The Singapore government strictly monitors the health protocol method and even imposes fines and imprisonment for violators.

In Taiwan and India, the governments seem confused and hesitant in dealing with the pandemic. Like in Indonesia, when the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the pandemic in early March 2020, the governments of these countries tended to be slow to take preventive steps.

These countries only provide social appeals without legal sanctions.

At the other end of the style of government, the governments of Sweden and Japan only provide soft directions to their citizens. Sweden has not implemented a lockdown since the pandemic. Likewise in Japan, there are no sanctions if you don\'t wear a mask in public, or don\'t want to be vaccinated. These countries only provide social appeals without legal sanctions.

The key is consistency

Although it is still too early to say the success of governance during the pandemic (because the pandemic is still ongoing), several indicators have been seen, including the number of fatalities and the rate of spread of the virus. In countries with a strict approach, there are proven low fatality rates and the rate of the virus spread is quite low. Surprisingly, in countries that adopt a soft approach, things are improving. The number of fatalities is not too high, the rate of spread of the virus is under control.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

President Joko Widodo delivers his opening statement for a limited Cabinet meeting on Thursday (19/3/2020) via video link, streamed live to the Presidential Secretariat\'s YouTube channel and the streaming site of Jakarta’s Merdeka Palace (http://web-streaming.istanapresiden.go.id). In opening the meeting to hear and discuss the Covid-19 task force’s report, the President called for more rapid and wider testing, as well as expanding testing points. He also called for a clear and simple health protocol, preparing the Kemayoran Athletes Village as a quarantine facility, and maximum protection for medical workers treating Covid-19 patients.

The worst situation is found in countries whose governments seem hesitant in dealing with the pandemic. The fatality rate is high, the spread of the virus is unbearable. Why is that the case with this type of approach? There are several things we can highlight.

First, the government\'s failure to act quickly, precisely and carefully, determines the success of handling the pandemic and public health. Which strategy is adopted is important, but the planning, method and consistency of the implementation process will determine how the country can get out of the grip of the virus.

We can see this in Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and Japan. Although the strategies and approaches are different, the governments of these countries are consistent in implementing their policy strategies. In his essay, "We Need a Government", Arundhati Roy describes the chaotic handling of the pandemic in India, exacerbated by the culture of corruption and negligence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Without clear direction from top leaders, we can imagine how this leads to an overlap and confusion on the ground regarding the implementation and enforcement of these regulations.

In comparison, in Indonesia, from March 2020 to July 2021, 600 national regulations (including ministerial regulations and circulars of the Covid-19 task force) and more than 1,000 regional regulations related to Covid-19 have been passed. Without clear direction from top leaders, we can imagine how this leads to an overlap and confusion on the ground regarding the implementation and enforcement of these regulations.

Poor coordination

Second, lack of coordination, confusion of information, hoaxes and the absurd role of the media. Governance does not mean only strategic planning, implementation and sanctions, but also how to carry out a strategy to handle this pandemic in a coordinated and measurable manner, including managing the flow of information and coordinating with the media and other stakeholders.

In developed countries, where coordination and communication have become part of good governance practices, when the pandemic hits, the relevant institutions are ready with their respective standard operating procedures (SOP) and immediately build coordination.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Officers from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spray disinfectant liquid at Gambir Station, Central Jakarta, Thursday (12/3/2020). BNPB took this step following President Joko Widodo\'s order to clean up at public facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In developing countries, the opposite is happening. In addition to minimal coordination, the absence of SOPs, the sectoral ego also complicates the situation and the exchange of information. The available information is also very diverse, both in terms of quality of information (much of which is fake) and the quantity of information that is so overwhelming from all sources.

There is also much post-truth information that contains a little bit of deceit (so that it becomes misleading information) and the sources are also varied, either from social media (mostly unverified individuals, or even buzzers for certain political groups), as well as formal media citing sources from nowhere.

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While in developed countries what is operating is the “free press”, in developing countries the existing media tend to be confused and become “confused press” because they are busy covering things excessively, boasting, without checking and verifying the data first. As a result, when people see the media (social media or conventional media) what arises is a sense of crisis and extraordinary panic, adding to the chaos of the existing public health crisis.

Minimum legislative/judicial role

Third, the lack of active legislative and judicial institutions. Governance is not per se only carried out by the President and his assistants. There are several other institutions that are also responsible for governance. In Indonesia, we can see how unequal the government is during the pandemic.

The Indonesian legislature has almost done nothing related to the handling of the pandemic. They only carry out their routine duties, including approving proposals or budget amendments proposed by the executive. Even news reports in the media about the activities of the legislators during the pandemic tend to be negative: about the distribution of herbal medicines without the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) label, or about a legislator who demanded priority to get an ICU room.

Kompas/Priyombodo

Medical officers wearing hazmat check oxygen cylinders of patients undergoing temporary treatment in the corridor of the Cengkareng Hospital Emergency Room, West Jakarta, which was filled with Covid-19 patients, Tuesday (22/6/2021).

The judiciary should also be able to improve its role in the pandemic. In India, since Covid-19, there has been judicial activism by judges in India. They produce controversial and pro-people legal decisions, to encourage the executive and legislature to work harder. In Indonesia, this has not been seen because the judiciary is busy trying to survive by conducting an e-court or hybrid court.

Governance is like swimming in murky water because it is very difficult to see ahead, know what is going on and still try not to drown, to swim for land. The unpreparedness of all parties, especially the government, is very obvious and has fatal consequences, because it requires very high public awareness of the importance of maintaining health together. In addition to the health protocols that are always closely guarded, getting a dose of vaccine as well as tolerance for each other\'s feelings is needed in order to maintain health and sanity together.

ARSIP PRIBADI

Linda Yanti Sulistiawati

There is no need to alienate and blame each other because we can only overcome this epidemic together. The government can work with the people, including the media, to calm things down and clear up information. Consistency, firmness, certainty and protection from the government are highly expected, in order to provide a sense of safety and calm to the people.

Linda Yanti Sulistiawati, Senior Researcher at the Asia Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL) National University of Singapore; Lecturer at the School of Law, UGM

(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko).