He regarded the tragic case involving a 10-year-old fourth grader, YBS, as a wake-up call for all institutions and stakeholders to ensure the accuracy and accessibility of social aid and protection for vulnerable communities.
"I will speak plainly: this event has prompted us all to reflect and evaluate. We should not treat aid beneficiary data as mere numbers but attach a sense of social justice to it," Yusuf stated in Jakarta on Thursday.
He made the statement amid mounting public scrutiny over social justice, following the death of YBS, who left a handwritten note to his mother, MGT (47), expressing disappointment at being unable to afford school supplies.
The minister underscored that his office had dispatched an assessment team to Ngada to directly review the social and economic conditions of the victim and his family.
He noted that it was later found YBS was registered as a beneficiary of the Smart Indonesia Program, while his grandparents, with whom he lived, were confirmed as recipients of the ministry’s regular social aid.
However, for unspecified reasons, the assistance failed to reach them at some point, he added.
Bearing that in mind, Yusuf reiterated the urgency of updating aid beneficiary data and improving distribution mechanisms to prevent future incidents, particularly in regions with large populations facing social and economic vulnerabilities.
He highlighted that the Ministry of Social Affairs had provided the victim’s family with assistance totaling Rp9 million (around US$534), including food supplies and clothing.
He also guaranteed educational access for the victim’s siblings through the tuition-free Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) program.
The child suicide case in Ngada has prompted responses from central and local government figures, including President Prabowo Subianto.
Speaking to reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday (Feb. 4), Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi said the president had instructed government aides to strengthen coordination to prevent such incidents from recurring.
"We are drawing lessons from this case," he stated, assuring the public of the government’s commitment to social justice.
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Translator: M. Riezko, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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