State Capacity and Public Trust in Handling the COVID-19 Outbreak in Malaysia

Abstract

Respon negara-negara terhadap pandemi global sangatlah beragam. Kebijakan yang diambil pemerintah dan dukungan dari masyarakat sangat menentukan keberhasilan penanganan pandemi tersebut. Ada beberapa negara yang cukup lama berjuang melawannya sehingga memiliki implikasi ekonomi yang serius. Tetapi, ada juga negara yang secara efisien mengatasinya sehingga mampu menghambat melonjaknya jumlah penderita Covid-19 dan melindungi ekonomi negaranya. Selain Selandia Baru, Taiwan dan China, Malaysia termasuk salah satu negara yang memiliki kapasitas cukup baik dalam penanganan pandemi Covid-19 dalam bentuk kemampuan menekan penyebaran virus, dan menormalkan kembali perekonomiannya. Artikel ini menjelaskan bagaimana kapasitas negara mampu menjadi modal besar dalam penanganan pandemi di Malaysia. Kapasitas negara yang memadai akan mampu menimbulkan kepercayaan publik sehingga kepercayaan itu dapat menjadi katalisator bagi berhasilnya pelaksanaan kebijakan. Selain kapasitas negara, aspek kepemimpinan di level nasional dan level lokal berperan penting dalam mendukung keberhasilan kebijakan pemerintah. Kepemimpinan yang efektif dapat mendorong suasana kondusif bagi ketaatan masyarakat untuk mentaati kebijakan pemerintah. Ibarat musuh bersama (common enemy), dukungan elemen masyarakat sangat diperlukan bagi keberhasilan melawan penyebaran virus.Kata-kata kunci: Malaysia, kapasitas negara, kepercayaan publikCountries' responses to global pandemic have been mixed. The policies taken by the government and the support of the community will significantly determine the success of handling the pandemic. Several countries have struggled against it for a long time to have profound economic implications, but some countries have efficiently dealt with it to prevent the increasing number of Covid-19 sufferers and protect the country's economy. Apart from New Zealand, Taiwan and China, Malaysia is one of the countries that have adequate capacity to handle the Covid-19 pandemic in the form of the ability to suppress the spread of the virus and normalize its economy again. This paper explains how the country's capacity can become a significant capital in handling pandemic in Malaysia. Adequate state capacity will generate public trust so that this trust can be a catalyst for the successful implementation of policies. Apart from the state's capacity, the leadership aspect at the national and local levels plays a vital role in supporting the success of government policies. Effective leadership can encourage a conducive atmosphere for community obedience to comply with government policies. Like a common enemy, the support of social elements is necessary for the success against the spread of the virus.Keywords: Malaysia, state capacity, public trust

Glimpsing Indonesia’s Social Media Discourse: What Goes on During the Covid-19 Infodemic

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“…This affects the trust and participation of citizens. Several studies have also shown a correlation between government capacity and community participation (Kuipers et al, 2020;Ladiqi, 2020;Mujani, 2020;Mujani & Irvani, 2020). For more than six months, the author observed that the participation of the citizens of Bandung City in the form of non-compliance increased.…”

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