Spokesman Explains Why Public Satisfaction with Ma'ruf Amin Low

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Masduki Baidlowi, a spokesman for Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, considered that the low public satisfaction at the VP’s performance was reasonable. Because, he said, Ma'ruf’s works were rarely exposed to the media.

“There was a time, for three months, the VP was drafting strategic ways to coordinate with a number of ministries, and it is still afoot. That’s why it never grabs a headline,” said Masduki at the VP’s official residence on Jalan Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, Monday, February 17.

According to Masduki, Ma’ruf has so far invited the cabinet ministers to discuss strategic issues, such as radicalism in the community, in which he demanded the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) develop a roadmap on the approach of radicalism from the downstream to the upstream.

“But all of that is not reported on the media, and the roadmap is still being drafted,” Masduki added, mentioning that there were also meetings on the improvement of the budget spending for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In total, Masduki said that the Vice President has seven priority programs that were being designed. 

Therefore, Masduki opined that the public negative assessment at Ma'ruf Amin’s performance was fair because the latter’s works have not been seen yet. Besides, the VP’s effective office period was just 6 months, and he was only drafting formula for strategic issues and tightening inter-ministries coordination.

EGI ADYATAMA