Suarabandungbarat.id- Cabinet Secretary (Seskab) Pramono Anung explained President Joko Widodo’s reason for forbidding state officials from holding an iftar together in the month of Ramadan 1444 H this year to exemplify a simple lifestyle.
“The president asked ASN government officials to break their fast with a simple lifestyle, not to do or invite officials in them to break the fast together,” said Pramono on the YouTube Presidential Secretariat, Thursday (23/3/2023)
“This does not apply to the general public. Thus, the general public is still given the freedom to conduct or organize iftar together,” he continued.
Pramono revealed that the ban on breaking the fast together was only intended for coordinating ministers, ministers and heads of government agencies.
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Previously, the government issued a letter from the Cabinet Secretary of the Republic of Indonesia Number 38/Seskab/DKK/03/2023 which was signed by Pramono Anung on Tuesday (21/3). The letter contains a prohibition for state officials to hold iftar together in the month of Ramadan this year.
“I need to explain the letter issued by the Cabinet Secretariat relating to breaking the fast together. The first is that the iftar or the President’s direction is only addressed to coordinating ministers, ministers, heads of government agencies,” said Pramono.
Not only that, said Pramono, breaking the fast for civil servants and government officials was ordered to be done simply. This is because currently ASN and government officials are still under the sharp scrutiny of the public.
“The third, which is no less important is that currently the state civil apparatus, government officials are receiving a very sharp scrutiny from the public. For this reason, the President asked the government ranks, ASN to break their fast with a simple lifestyle, not doing or inviting the officials if they break the fast together,” said Pramono.
“So in this way, the point is that simplicity, which is always given as an example by the President, is the main reference,” he said
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“The handling of Covid-19 is currently in transition from a pandemic to an endemic so caution is still needed,” the letter said.
The directives were addressed to the ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, the Attorney General, the Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, the National Police Chief and heads of other government agencies/institutions.
In the letter there are 3 directions from President Jokowi, namely:
1. The handling of COVID-19 is currently in a transition period from pandemic to endemic, so caution is still required.
2. In connection with that, the implementation of breaking the fast together in the holy month of Ramadhan 1444 H to be abolished.
3. The Minister of Home Affairs should contact the governors, regents and mayors for the directions mentioned above.
This is conveyed so that you comply with the President’s directives in question and forwarded to all employees in their respective agencies, the letter said.
The letter was ratified by Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung and submitted to the President of the Republic of Indonesia as a report and the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia.
