Responding to Public Expectation

KOMPAS EDITOR

· 3 minutes read

BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
President Joko Widodo (standing) reminded ministers to be sensitive to people's difficulties and communicate well with the public. This was conveyed in the introduction to the Plenary Cabinet Session, Tuesday (5/4/2022).

The public satisfaction with the government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo-Ma'ruf Amin has been on a downward trend as reflected in the latest survey conducted by Kompas Research and Development (R&D).

The survey, which is conducted periodically, may show an uptrend in one period and downward trend in another. The results of the survey, which was conducted from May 26 to June 4, 2022, were published on 20 June 2022. In the survey, satisfaction with the current administration dropped to 67.1 percent from 73.9 percent in January 2022. The public satisfaction in the fields of political and security (Polkam) and law enforcement was recorded at 73.1 percent and 57.5 percent, respectively, while in the arena of economy and social welfare, it was recorded at 50.5 percent and 73.4 percent, respectively.

Also read:

> Public Satisfaction with the Government Declines

> Waiting for Cabinet Work Consolidation

The results of the public-opinion survey can be used as a reflection for the government to pay attention to which sectors have low satisfaction and must be improved. Every time there is a challenge, there must be a response. The economic and legal sectors are the two fields that require a special attention.

The increasing prices of basic needs and the creation of jobs need serious attention. The issue of increasing prices, which surprised the newly appointed Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, must be resolved. Likewise, the difficulty in getting a job can become an economic issue that many people complain about.

Budget constraints and global instability, resulting from the Russian-Ukrainian war, have created uncertainty for the future. Budget allocations need to be directed to support people's purchasing power. The government's political communication needs to consider empathy for the public's feelings.

In addition to economic issues, the legal uncertainty also needs attention. Issues in the legal aspect are generally related to the eradication of corruption which is getting weaker, the rampant bribery practice and equality of citizens before the law.

At first glance, the development of the legal system is considered as a marginal issue that is rarely touched by the elite of this country. The development of the legal system and legal culture is not as grand as infrastructure development. The practice of the legal world seems to be without direction and without guidelines. In fact, the constitution states that Indonesia is a state of law.

Also read:

> Public Satisfaction, the Government’s Primary Asset

> Govt Challenge in Maintaining Public Satisfaction

Legal enforcement agencies seem to be left to grapple with their own problems without direction from leaders. The existence of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which is respected and has always been the institution most trusted by the public, is now at its lowest point. The public satisfaction with the KPK is only at 57 percent. So sad!

We hope that the change of ministers can answer the public's expectations. The urgency of a Cabinet reshuffle is not merely to organize coalitions, but to respond to the decline in public satisfaction in the economic and law enforcement sectors. Communication between the ministers as well as the leaders of the political parties can be interpreted by the public as a coalition within the coalition. Their maneuvers can be considered by the public as competing in the Cabinet for their own political interests.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.

Editor:

SYAHNAN RANGKUTI

editorial public expectation the public satisfaction with the government