Secure Christmas-New Year, South Sumatra Alerts 3,183 Joint Personnel

PALEMBANG - The Provincial Government of South Sumatra (Sumsel) has alerted 3,183 joint troops to secure the Christmas 2021 and 2022 New Year celebrations.

Deputy Governor of South Sumatra Mawardi Yahya said the thousands of troops joined the Lilin Musi 2021 Operation whose task was to create security and public order (Kamtibmas).

The thousands of troops consisted of 1,508 South Sumatra Regional Police officers and 1,618 combined TNI personnel from the Transportation Service, BPBD, Health Service, Satpol PP, and volunteer organizations, in particular disciplined compliance with health protocols so that the spread of COVID-19 in South Sumatra did not flare up again.

"It is our commitment to face Christmas and New Year, their job is to create a social security order, especially to discipline the public regarding health protocols," said Mawardi, after the launch of the 2021 Musi Lilin Operations Troop in Palembang, Thursday, December 23. Meanwhile, South Sumatra Regional Police Chief Inspector General Toni Harmanto said the thousands of troops were on standby at 76 security posts and seven bulkhead posts at the provincial border, until one week after New Year's Eve 2022.

“The main task is more in prevention. But still balanced with law enforcement issues. Any violators of health protocols and threats to security and safety regulations will still be dealt with as they should be," he stressed.

According to him, according to the instructions from the National Police Chief in this Christmas and New Year's security operation, his party applies an open and closed security system, so that they are free from any potential security threats to people in worship and vital state objects.

"There are also open and closed security," he said.