Palace Responds to Public Criticism of Public Works Minister's Communication Style

The State Palace has responded to public criticism of Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo’s communication style, which has recently been perceived as too relaxed or “slengekan.” While affirming that evaluations of ministers are conducted routinely, the government acknowledged that the way officials communicate with the public is an aspect that will receive attention.

Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi stated that evaluations of the Merah Putih Cabinet involve not only performance but also ongoing coordination and feedback. “Regarding evaluations of all ministries and their ministers, we routinely and continuously conduct evaluations in the sense of coordinating with one another and providing input to one another,” Prasetyo said in the Press Room of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, 21 July 2026.

However, Prasetyo distinguished between performance evaluations and assessments of a minister’s communication style. According to him, the two have different assessment criteria. “Because there are some things that depend on the context. Performance evaluation has its own way of being assessed,” Prasetyo explained. “But if the question is about evaluating communication style, especially concerning individual character, then of course the parameters and evaluation methods are different,” he continued.

Nevertheless, the Palace signalled that public criticism regarding a minister’s delivery will not be ignored. Such input will serve as material for internal communication so that the delivery of information to the public can be more appropriate. “So if there is an issue regarding a minister who is considered to have delivered something to the public in an inappropriate manner, that will be noted for us to communicate and we hope it will be improved,” Prasetyo said.

The statement emerged amid scrutiny of Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo, who drew criticism for his communication style, which was deemed too casual when responding to various public issues. Responding to the criticism, Dody considered it a positive matter and part of a process of self-improvement. “There is no problem. Criticism is good. Criticism is good because it allows me to improve myself going forward,” Dody said.