REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia needs some 12 thousand professional public relations officers to work at different state agencies in the face of the ASEAN Economic Community, which will be launched on December 31, 2015, an official said.

"We will need 12 thousand certified public relations officers or we will lose to fellow ASEAN members," Director General of Public Communication and Information Freddy Tulung said during a seminar here on Tuesday.

He noted that public relations officers play a vital role not only in disseminating information but also in facilitating the government to educate the public.

Furthermore, the government is aware that the public has different levels of education.