Political communications analyst Hendri Satrio highlighted a moment in a video uploaded on Instagram by Presidential Special Envoy Raffi Ahmad that showed Raffi and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya mingling with street musicians after watching a football match.
According to Hensa, as she's familiarly known, other officials should emulate this moment, going out into the field and experiencing the lives of the people firsthand. Such firsthand experiences allow officials to understand the emotional and social aspects of community life.
"Officials who come without observing protocol and are willing to mingle demonstrate a more humane form of leadership," Hensa said in a statement.
The founder of the KedaiKOPI Survey Institute assessed that this moment was a real example of officials sharing the joy of the common people.
"If officials were willing to get out and enjoy simple things with the people, they would understand how small things make them happy. This isn't just about image; it's about experiencing the daily reality of millions of people," Hensa said.
On the other hand, he also observed that similar occasions were rare among government officials. He said that concerns about image often held officials back from appearing authentically in public.
In fact, he continued, even though moments like that between Teddy and Raffi have the potential to be labeled as image-building, recordings of these moments often become positive notes that are stored for a long time in the public mind.
"It's better to be accused of publicity for singing with buskers than to never know what it's like to celebrate small victories together. Publicity is fine, as long as the output is positive," Hensa said.
However, he reminded that there is a need for balance, that spontaneous presence in public must still be accompanied by responsibility for one's performance.
He also hopes that more officials will show similar courage, while also emphasizing the importance of a deeper commitment to the welfare of the people.
