QLUE reports decline in public satisfaction of civil servants since Ahok went on leave

As you might already be aware, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama is currently on a legally mandated leave while he campaigns in his bid for re-election in 2017.

Ahok earned himself quite the fearsomereputation among his subordinates at the Jakarta Provincial Government as someone who doesn’t accept excuses for ineptitude and someone who has often demoted and even fired underperforming civil servants. Many praised Ahok’s tough approach towards Jakarta’s civil servants and believe that he’s the reason why public service in Jakarta saw a substantial improvement compared to the previous administration.

But now that Ahok is out of his office for several months, it appears that Jakarta’s civil servants have gone back to their pre-Ahok ways. This is reflected in a recent downturn in satisfaction ratings for the work done by civil servants as measured by the mobile app QLUE.

“The number of reports or complaints coming in is the same as before. It’s just that the follow up from the government has lowered in terms of quality,” said QLUE Marketing Communications Manager Elita Yunanda, as quoted by Kompas yesterday.

QLUE, which was developed by the Provincial Government, allows Jakartans to send complaints about public facilities and services in Jakarta to be followed up by the relevant working units and agencies within the administration.

“Sometimes they (civil servants) are half-hearted in their follow up. This is what’s being observed by QLUE users,” Elita said.

Elita said the recent drop in the work quality of civil servants coincided with Ahok going on leave.

Ahok actively fought against the law requiring incumbents to go on leave while they’re campaigning (a law designed to ensure that incumbents don’t misappropriate government funds or facilities to help their campaign). He filed for a judicial review to the Constitutional Court, who has yet to issue their verdict on the matter.

Ahok has been on leave since October 28 and will return to office when the official campaign period ends on February 11, 2017.