FISIP Online – Vice Chairman of the Information Commission of DKI Jakarta Province, Luqman Hakim Arifin, stated that the issuance of Law Number 14 of 2008 concerning Public Information Openness marked the beginning of a paradigm shift in society towards public information openness.

According to him, in the New Order era, public bodies considered public information as confidential and exempted, but after the enactment of the Public Information Openness Law, public information is viewed as open information.

“In the New Order era, it was very difficult for people to obtain public information from public bodies because everything was considered secret. But now, thankfully, many things are open,” Luqman said during a seminar titled "Digital Platform in the Era of Information Openness" in the Main Auditorium of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UIN Jakarta, Thursday (11/23/2023).

Luqman explained that the purpose of the Public Information Openness Law (UU KIP) is to create a good, accountable, and transparent government or public body in managing public information.

“Civil servants working in public bodies must realize that the places they work are not family-owned companies or institutions. Therefore, they must be managed transparently and accountably,” he said.

Moreover, according to Luqman, the UU KIP serves as the strength and legal basis for the public who want to submit requests for public information to public bodies.

Within it, the mechanism for the flow of public information requests to the resolution of public information disputes through non-litigation mediation and adjudication is clearly and concretely regulated by the Information Commission.

“If journalists have the basis of the Press Law to obtain information, then we, as citizens, the general public, have the Public Information Openness Law,” he said.

Meanwhile, another speaker, A. Su'udi, a digital media practitioner, stated that information has become a basic necessity for society in the modern era.

He emphasized that it can be guaranteed that no one does not need information, especially public information.

“Currently, everyone needs information, and accessing information has become very easy with digital technology like the internet,” said Su'udi.

Su'udi asserted that the government or public bodies are institutions that manage and control a lot of public information.

Therefore, students are encouraged to utilize the Public Information Openness Law in accessing public information in public bodies, such as for research and studies.

“The government controls information. So, access as much information as possible. Because in the New Order era, information was scarce and special,” said Su'udi.

In addition, Luqman added that in the era of information abundance, society is required to be smart in filtering and selecting information. One way is to seek information by referring to authoritative sources or their official websites directly.

For example, to find out the weather forecast, refer to official sites or websites such as the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

This is because the Public Information Openness Law obliges every public body to manage public information and disseminate it through their respective official sites or websites. The manager of public information in this policy is also referred to as the Public Information and Documentation Officer (PPID) and not the public relations.

“By referring to authoritative sources, we can obtain clear and accountable information and avoid hoaxes or misleading information,” said Luqman.

This seminar was initiated by lecturers from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at UIN Jakarta and attended by students from the Sociology and Political Science departments at UIN Jakarta. (kip/AF)