TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Human Rights Mahfud MD recalled the time when the central government eventually agreed upon the new normal era.

“It was the third week of May 2020, every coordinating minister, health minister, and state secretary discussed how to keep the economy moving,” said Mahfud MD on Wednesday as he attended the coordinating meeting on the handling of COVID-19.

He said that the main argument at the time was that it would not be possible to make people stay put at home and that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had gathered them to think of new ideas.

“Factually, COVID-19 exists and no one can predict when it would end. Would we be forced to continue like this? But then it was decided that we need to move, especially for the economy. That was the initial idea [to implement] the new normal,” said Mahfud.

Apart from economic reasons and how to prevent a widespread financial downfall, the former Constitutional Court (MK) judge claims that the decision to introduce a ‘new normal’ was also based on social and health aspects.

The government’s decision forces everyone to undergo life under certain health protocols such as the mandatory face mask rule and other self-hygiene activities that may have seldom been seen in the public be acted regularly. He deems this important as there is no clear date when COVID-19 would be eradicated.

Read also: Minister Budi Karya: New Normal Offers Two Advantages

ANTARA