Last Updated: 5 months ago
Public service is the tangible face of the state in front of its citizens. It is there that the principles of human rights (HR) are tested—not in international legal discourse, but in concrete actions: how a citizen is treated when applying for an ID card, accessing education, health services, social assistance, or legal protection. The quality of public service determines the extent to which the state recognizes human dignity as the holder of rights, not merely as a recipient of bureaucratic benevolence.
However, practices on the ground still reveal various deviations that violate human rights principles. Maladministration—from delayed services and extortion to discrimination against vulnerable groups and arbitrary use of authority—represents an ethical wound that directly affects the public’s sense of justice. When poor citizens face obstacles in accessing healthcare, or residents in remote areas cannot obtain proper education due to administrative limitations, it is not only individual rights that are harmed, but also the moral legitimacy of the state.
Human Rights and Service Certainty
Equitable service requires the certainty that every citizen receives equal treatment without discrimination, and that bureaucratic procedures operate transparently and accountably. Public complaint mechanisms, digital service systems, and minimum service standards are efforts by the state to establish such certainty. Yet, no matter how sophisticated the system, it will not be effective without the integrity of the officials. Here, bureaucratic ethics become decisive: whether every employee recognizes their moral responsibility to serve humans, not merely to carry out administrative routines.
In this context, public service should be understood as a social act of devotion—a mandate that demands honesty, empathy, and professionalism. Islamic values strongly affirm this. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The best of people are those who are most beneficial to others.” This principle reinforces that service is not about exercising power, but about devotion oriented toward the common good.
Bureaucratic Challenges and Solutions
The greatest challenge for Indonesia’s bureaucracy today lies not only in technical capacity but also in moral and empathetic capacity. Bureaucratic reform should not be measured solely by structural simplification or improved service indexes; it must be accompanied by a transformation of values, fostering awareness that bureaucracy is an instrument of justice responsibly protecting citizens’ rights, not merely executing policy.
Some practical steps that can be strengthened include:
By positioning public service as a moral responsibility and an act of devotion, bureaucracy can become an instrument of liberation—promoting equal access, respecting human dignity, and affirming a just state presence for all.
As Allah says in Qur’an, Surah An-Nahl:90, “Indeed, Allah commands justice and good conduct…” This principle should be the essence of public service that respects the rights of every individual, without exception.
Written by: Faisal Tri Ramdani, S.Sos., M.A.P
(Lecturer, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Djuanda)
In Commemoration of International Human Rights Day
December 10, 2025