TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko demanded the central and regional public relations to intensively promote the achievement of the government under President Joko Widodo or Jokowi.

Moeldoko reasoned the act should be carried out to tackle circulated hoax news. “The government has done amazing works, but false news is circulated. The government’s work is easily messed up by spews of lies,” said Moeldoko in a national coordinating meeting of public relation and legal in 2019, in Bidakara Hotel, Jakarta, Monday, February 11.

Therefore, Moeldoko stressed, a huge collaboration between the presidential staff office (KSP) and ministries or institutions to encourage public relations unit to move with one great coordination plan. “We must leave sectoral ego, so good news that the government issued can be circulated well to the downstream and well controlled,” he added.

On the occasion, Moeldoko mentioned the government’s achievement, such as infrastructure development projects, one fuel price program, the declining rate of poverty to one digit, National Health Card program, Indonesian Smart Card program, and Family Hope program.

He pinned hope those programs and achievements could be well distributed by the public relations bureau to the public. “We will launch a small book about the government’s work to be distributed,” said Moeldoko before hundreds of public relations actor presenting in the session.

Moeldoko said that the task of public relations is serving the public, including providing information services. “Don’t let information circulation to be dominated by a certain group that minimizes our role. It is unfortunate. So we have to fully optimize our role,” he noted.

Moeldoko further refuted that this event aimed at benefiting Jokowi as the incumbent candidate in the 2019 presidential election. “Don’t relate this [to the election], it’s just a coincidence as this is ahead of the election,” he added while laughing.

DEWI NURITA