The Indonesian Government says Public Servants who take part in this year’s Idul Fitri Mudik at the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan in defiance of a ban will face sanctions.
Mudik, or exodus, is a traditional practice in Indonesia where people return to their home towns or villages to take part in the feasts that mark the end of Ramadan.
The Government is trying to ban the practice this year, fearing it would spread the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform has prohibited Public Servants and their families from going on Mudik until the country “is free of COVID-19”.
The Ministry issued a circular on 9 April stipulating that Public Servants who disobeyed the ban faced “mild to heavy” disciplinary sanctions.
Ministry official, Bambang Sumarsono said the type of sanction imposed “would depend on the impact the person’s actions have on their work, their institution and society”.
Mr Sumarsono said mild sanctions could include verbal warnings and/or reprimand letters, while the second most severe sanctions included postponement of salary increases and demotion.
“Under the most severe sanctions, Civil Servants face a three-year demotion or termination of employment,” Mr Sumarsono said.
He said Public Servants were also prohibited from taking leave during the pandemic, “unless it is for urgent matters, including maternity leave, sick leave or family reasons such as the death of a close relative”.
After President Joko Widodo announced the Mudik ban, the Ministry for Transportation said travel restrictions would be in force from 24 April to 31 May that prevented private vehicles, bus, trains, ships and chartered and commercial flights from entering or leaving COVID-19-impacted areas.
Jakarta, 1 May, 2020
