Corona Had a Spokesperson
The name of Achmad Yurianto echoed widely in the country. His status as a government spokesman regarding COVID-19, made him appear on television every day. Inevitably, mothers, fathers, even the children knew him.
You may know him through television, which broadcast his appearance every day starting at 15.30 Western Indonesia Time or WIB. If so, please read this article to get to know Yuri more closely, including unique stories that did not appear on TVs.
Let’s trace the history of his emergence in the first place. Since being appointed by the Minister of Health as the Government Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Group, Yuri had held a press conference from the KSP office (Presidential Staff Office). Only in early March 2020, he shifted to Graha BNPB, the headquarters of the COVID-19 Task Group, which happened to be commanded by Letjen Doni Monardo.
For almost a month, Yuri was like a solo eagle flying alone. There was no dedicated team to help. The materials were only obtained from his office at the Ministry of Health. In short, no team was professionally well-prepared for the press conference.
Speaking every day in front of journalists and being shown on television with the same topic was indeed uneasy. If you saw Yuri’s appearance so calm with structured speech, that was not the case behind the scenes.
There was a time when Yuri’s complex compound sentence caused multiple interpretations in the people. If you still remember, after Yuri spoke about the dichotomy of rich and poor, the media response (especially social media) was counterproductive. What emerged was the impression that the government paid more attention to the rich than the poor.
THE RICH-POOR DICHOTOMY
In fact, that was not what Yuri meant. The message was the otherwise. Rich people should protect others because the virus carriers who got into the country were wealthy people who have just travelled abroad. However, since the society’s stigma regarding the rich-poor dichotomy was inherent, it became complicated to clear it out.
If the government paid its attention to people who travel abroad, it was not extra attention to the rich. On the contrary, it was done to protect so that more people would not be exposed to the virus.
You can imagine how shocked Yuri was between his routine task of conveying information on the latest COVID-19 developments and the wrong perception that was already spreading in the community.
This happened until a group of professionals who were also COVID-19 volunteers arrived. They couldn’t let Yuri fly solo. Tb Arie Rukmantara (UNICEF Indonesia) appeared and took the initiative to coordinate the media centre to make it more organized. He then served as a scriptwriter for Yuri and later for dr Reisa Broto Asmoro.
Regarding the division of tasks between Yuri and Reisa, we would leave it to Arie and their friends. Arie was not alone. He was assisted by other volunteers, Neysa Amelia and Tasril Mulyadi, who were in charge to brief Yuri’s complementary interviewees. Because, sometimes, Yuri also presented other interviewees.
Other people who were helping them were the TVRI crews led by Bambang and Danu Dirja and the RRI crews Niar and Sevira. Ian Satriadi controlled the field of live streaming for March and April 2020. Then, from May until the beginning of 2021, it was taken over by Arie Bachdar.
There were also Savero, Satya, and Basra, students who volunteered to help the visual graphics displayed.
Last but not least, there were Colonel Inf Kristomei Sianturi and Colonel Inf Fadjar Tjahjono from TNI Headquarters and 1st Kogabwilhan who helped to implement the health protocols as well as to streamline the production process.
The smooth work of this team could not be separated from the personnel at the BNPB’s Center for Data, Information, and Communication (Pusdatinkom BNPB), under the direction of the Head of the Center, Raditya Jati.
Slowly the collaboration changed (improved) Yuri’s stage. Finally, 26 March 2020 was the time when Yuri was now no longer “flying solo.” Arie helped to prepare the script as well as directing and editing.
Arie also made a tradition of holding small meetings to draft topics to be delivered the next day. This included determining the duration because an unlimited speech sometimes left Yuri blank and failed to focus.
A speech that was too long also makes the audience feel like they are watching a monologue. Without any script and unlimited duration, such speech is going round and round.
NON-STOP TALKING
Who also went unnoticed was the floor director. He was in charge of reminding Yuri with a timer. For example, the first to the seventh minute was the introduction, eighth to the tenth minute was to change the topic of the information with numbers or statistics on the background.
A simple change, but the results were more targeted. Practically from March to July 2020, Yuri talked non-stop. Viewers were increasingly pleased with his performance. Yuri was even more relaxed towards the assistance team.
Unlike what you have seen on the screen, Yuri was very humorous. It was very likely that while talking on television, you saw the serious version of Yuri. As a matter of fact, minutes before the performance, he joked a lot with the team members.
When the atmosphere was more conducive, fresh ideas flew freely, even on fashion matters. That was why you might see Yuri every day appeared with a different batik.
Sometimes Yuri wore custom batik motifs, such as coronavirus batik, eagle motif, as well as flora and fauna motifs. It was a very creative choice. It was even more interesting when Yuri mixed and matched with matching masks.
You could be thinking, “there is a boutique that endorses Yuri’s clothing.” You are wrong. All the batik dresses were of his wife’s hand sewing. Yuri’s wife also prepared her husband’s clothes and masks. After a few days, Yuri’s wife’s friends then took the initiative to sew batik clothes and masks for Yuri as well.
That’s what happened. As a result, his batik masks went viral. Yuri’s wife friends were among those who get orders.
What was unexpected was a game of “bingo”, guessing around “What batik clothes would Mr Yuri wear today?” Several journalists even joined in this game.
The audience was pleased with Yuri’s press conference. There was even an increase in the number of audiences who watched his performance. This included policymakers who sought updates regarding the latest figures or data.
After the game of “what batik motif is Yuri wearing today,” other gimmicks followed. For example, there was the “word bingo.” If you are diligent enough in watching Yuri, you will notice some of the words that Yuri speaks very often. For example, there were ‘oleh karena itu,’ ‘maka dari itu,’ (both mean therefore), ‘adalah’ (is), and ‘kita yakin kita bisa’ (we believe we can do it), alongside his thick Javanese accent.
Young children even made some figurines, sort of children’s toys resembling Wolverine characters and superhero figures, but with the figure of Yuri. They then dubbed Yuri’s accent.
THE WISH OF A CHILD WITH DISABILITY
In short, Yuri immediately became much more popular. Several people went to Graha BNPB specifically to see Yuri’s appearance in person. Even one mother came to ask permission from Arie to allow her disabled child to take pictures with Yuri.
Arie agreed because Yuri was a humanist. Yuri would not oppose his decision. Thus, the next day there was a very moving scene. After the press conference, the disabled child’s wish was granted to take a photo with Yuri.
There was also another similar event, but with a slightly different story.
There was a member of the transcription team. Due to the work from home (WFH) policy, he transcribed Yuri’s material from home. After a while, when the era of the Task Group ended, Yuri’s duty as a spokesperson also ended.
The staff of the transcription team conveyed his sad feelings. Not because his work has been completed, but because during his time of transcribing Yuri’s press statement, his one hidden desire was not delivered yet, which was to take a photo with Yuri.
The story finally reached Yuri. What happened? Yuri asked the transcription staff member’s name and address and immediately drove to his house. You can imagine how happy he was. Not only was he able to take pictures with Yuri, but more than that, Yuri himself also came to his house.
A more or less similar story happened at Yuri’s residence in the Bogor area. Especially on Saturdays and Sundays, many children came to Yuri’s house and hung out in front of her house. They waited for Yuri’s time to leave the house and do routine activities in the morning, such as watering flowers or washing his car. At that time, they rushed to the front of the fence and asked for permission to take some pictures. Yuri greeted him with a friendly smile.
Beyond what you know, deep inside, Yuri was also an artist. He painted his own batik motifs on his clothes, including the eagle motif, flora-fauna, and other motifs. His house was also lined up with a collection of his sculptures.
Yuri’s figure was so attached to the hearts of TV viewers and in the hearts of the people. That was why many people missed him when Yuri’s regular press conference disappeared. “Tuesday, 21 July 2020 was Mr Yuri’s last press conference. The next day the atmosphere was different. Then the 23rd is National Children’s Day. Well, on the 24th we held a kind of farewell party.
“Previously, I had asked permission to “hijack” the press conference room that day, to surprise Mr Yuri, and Mr Doni invited him,” said Arie.
Friday, 24 July 2020 afternoon, everyone was ready in each of their places during Yuri’s usual performance time. Yuri was also present. That day, there was an unusually unique and exciting sight. Farewell party with the theme of “National Children’s Day”.
The kids were taking the cameraman position. Several officials joined the talk show, such as I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati, Indonesian Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection; Doni Monardo was represented by the Deputy II of BNPB, Lili Kurniawan; Lula Kamal; and Dr. Vito Damay. Echelon I officials of children affairs, including officials from the Ministry of Health and Bappenas were also present. The hosts of the show were also children.
YURI SURPRISED
At 15.30, the press conference was held, as usual, Yuri turned up. The host announced, “The next event, a press statement by Mr Achmad Yurianto.”
Of course, Yuri was shocked. Then, suddenly, several children appeared at the podium and delivered the press conference. The child who played Yuri also spoke with the accent and grammar usually used by Yuri. Including not using any greeting but directly strike to the point to the topic of discussion. Next to him, there was also a girl who played dr Reisa Broto Asmoro.
After the presentation, the children then went to Yuri’s seat and gave a garland of flowers while saying thank you. Mr Yuri could barely hide his tears for the sake of getting a bouquet, a thank you note, and all the beautiful “farewell party.”
Yuri appeared for 140 days in the press conference until his last day in Graha BNPB. On all of those days, Yuri was never absent. Not only was he never absent, but he was also never even a second late!
Yuri started his career in the military in 1987 as the main officer of the regional military health of Regional Military Command (Kodam) V/Brawijaya. From there, he was placed around other assignments. Among them was a doctor of the 745th Infantry Battalion/Sampada Yudha Bakti for a mission in Dili, East Timor, in 1991.
He has been active as a military doctor for a long time, most recently in 2011 when he became Head of the Health Support Service of the TNI Health Centre (Kepala Pusat Krisis Kesehatan Kementerian Kesehatan.) After that, he was tasked as the Head of the Health Crisis Center of the Ministry of Health. In 2019, he was appointed as the Secretary-General of the Disease Prevention and Control Department.
I got to know Yuri initially in January 2020 in Natuna. At that time, we were intensely involved in welcoming Indonesian citizens from Wuhan home.
My opinion of Yuri? Briefly: “What a lot of fun person!” Thank you, Mr Yuri. (*)
Egy Massadiah, a senior journalist and media consultant. He has written a number of books and is an advisor of “Jaga Alam” Magazine.
This piece is part of a book he wrote, titled Titik Nol Corona: Doni Monardo di Pusaran Wabah, or Corona Ground Zero: Doni Monardo In the Pandemic Spiral.
The Covid-19 Spokesman, Dr Achmad Yurianto passed away on Saturday, 21 May 2022 at 6:58 pm in Malang, East Java. Rest in peace Mr Yuri!
