Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka lauded the people's initiatives to help disaster-stricken victims in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces as an expression of national solidarity.
"We thank all the people who have worked together to provide assistance to residents affected by floods and landslides in Sumatra," Gibran said in his written remarks on Tuesday.
Highlighting the “People Helping the People” movement initiated by media personality Ferry Irwandi, as well as contributions from the general public and social media influencers such as Praz Teguh and Willie Salim, the vice president described their efforts as a true embodiment of gotong royong, or mutual assistance.
Their actions also showed "excellent social awareness that becomes the strength of our nation for long," he remarked.
Gibran expressed hope that the assistance from the people would benefit disaster victims in the northern provinces of Sumatra and offer them moral support.
The vice president’s remarks were in response to a statement from a member of the House of Representatives (DPR), who noted that the actions of Irwandi and other volunteers had attracted substantial attention on social media.
Comparing Irwandi’s efforts with the government, which has provided “trillions of rupiahs” for disaster-response operations in Sumatra, the DPR member went on to dismiss Irwandi, whose initiatives have raised Rp10 billion for disaster victims, as “playing hero” in Aceh.
Meanwhile, the Air Transport Department of the Indonesian Police's Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam) has facilitated the delivery of assistance provided by Ferry Irwandi, media personalities, and ordinary residents for disaster victims in Sumatra.
According to Deputy Police Chief Commissioner General Dedi Prasetyo on December 4, assistance from the public, including food, clothing, and hygiene supplies totaling 2.6 tons, was delivered to Kualanamu International Airport near Medan, North Sumatra.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded that as of December 9, the disasters killed 961 people, left 287 missing, and affected millions across 52 districts and cities in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi G, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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