Jakarta Information Commission builds public information openness awareness through outreach

The Jakarta Information Commission (KI DKI) continues to build awareness of public information openness and personal data protection through a series of outreach and education programmes for public service bodies.

“Every person has the right to obtain public information. However, information openness must also go hand in hand with personal data protection,” said KI DKI Chairman Harry Ara Hutabarat in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said public bodies need to understand and distinguish between information that can be provided to the public and information that must be protected.

Requests for public information, he said, are not made personally to officers, but through the Information and Documentation Management Officer (PPID).

According to Harry, public information has different characteristics, including information that is available at all times, information that is announced periodically, and information that must be announced immediately.

He said information openness has a constitutional basis, one of which is Article 28F of the 1945 Constitution. In addition, the implementation of information openness also refers to Law Number 14 of 2008 on Public Information Openness as well as regulations related to personal data protection.

The activity served as an educational space for the staff of Cilincing Regional General Hospital (RSUD Cilincing) regarding the importance of Public Information Openness (KIP) as well as personal data protection in the delivery of public services.

“The outreach is directed at improving public bodies’ understanding of the public’s right to information as well as the limits in managing and conveying information to the public,” said Harry.

KI DKI hopes that understanding of information openness and personal data protection will be increasingly applied in daily services at RSUD Cilincing.

“The education is part of efforts to encourage public bodies to be more transparent, accountable, and to continue upholding the security and protection of public data,” said Harry.

Meanwhile, RSUD Cilincing Director Dr Mirsad said the material presented by KI DKI Jakarta provided insight as well as built new awareness for the hospital in carrying out public services.

“The material presented provided new awareness for us regarding information openness as well as the importance of personal data protection,” said Mirsad.