President Jokowi Orders TNI, Polri to Fully Support Pandemic Management Policies

TNI-Polri Leadership Meeting at the State Palace, Monday (15/02/2021). (Photo: Bureau of Press, Media, and Information of the Presidential Secretariat/Lukas)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo asserted that the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts still prevail. Therefore, the President ordered all ranks of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and Indonesian National Police (Polri) to remain active in supporting and assisting the enforcement of health protocols.

The President made the statement while delivering his directives to the attendees of the 2021 TNI-Polri Leadership Meeting at the State Palace, Jakarta, Monday (15/02/2021).

“I need to assert that the health crisis due to COVID-19 is not over. First, I order all ranks of the TNI and Polri to remain active in enforcing health protocols, disciplining 3M measures (wearing a face mask, washing hands, and maintaining a safe distance), and supporting 3T measures (testing, tracing, and treatment),” he said.

The President also instructed the TNI and Polri to support and strive to implement micro-scale social restrictions. TNI’s village supervisory non-commissioned personnel (Babinsa) and Polri’s public order officers (Bhabinkamtibmas), which operate at village scale, are expected to enforce the policies successfully.

“We expect that everyone works with an integrated manner. We hope the COVID-19 transmission chain will be quickly broken off and that this crisis will be over soon,” he stated.

In addition, President Jokowi asked Polri to support mass vaccination. The mass vaccination can be held in certain clusters with high risk of virus transmission, such as markets, centers of economic services, and red-zone residential areas.

TNI and Polri hold an essential role in this matter considering the quick response both parties give to every emergency.

To date, the Government is striving to provide COVID-19 vaccines for 70 percent of the population or as many as 181.5 million people as soon as possible. The Government expects to achieve herd immunity through free mass-vaccination program.

“I also order the TNI and Polri to secure vaccine distribution,” he added.

Furthermore, the TNI and Polri are ordered to play an active role in supporting conducive business and investment climate as work opportunities and employment, which have drastically decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are needed.

“Strengthen political stability and security are paramount. Provide legal certainty because, once again, business climate, investment climate are essential as they will enhance our economic growth,” explained the President. (Bureau of Press, Media, and Information of the Presidential Secretariat/UN) (DH/MMB)