When the Sumatra Disaster was Only an Arena for Officials to Image

JAKARTA - The government's response in dealing with disasters in Sumatra has come under scrutiny. The government led by President Prabowo Subianto is considered not serious in helping people affected by disasters.

Compared to the Aceh earthquake and tsunami that occurred in December 2004, the handling of the Sumatra disaster this time was considered worse.

The National Disaster Management Agency until December 18, 2025, recorded that Sumatra's ecological disaster had caused 1,059 people to die, 192 people were still missing, 7,000 people were injured, and 514,200 people had to be evacuated.

The disaster also caused damage to 147,256 houses, 1,600 public facilities, 967 educational facilities, 434 houses of worship, 290 office buildings, 219 health facilities, and 145 bridges. All of these impacts are spread across 52 districts/cities in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

The insistence that the government implement a national disaster status was also not addressed for more than two weeks after flash floods and landslides broke out in Sumatra. President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the Indonesian government was able to overcome disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Even the offer of assistance from a number of heads of state was rejected by the head of state.

"I say thank you for your concern, we are able. Indonesia is able to overcome this," said Prabowo.

"There are those who shout that they want this to be declared a national disaster. We have deployed, this is three provinces out of 38 provinces. So the situation is under control, I continue to monitor," he added.

President Prabowo Subianto's statement about the situation being under control has reaped many negative comments. Netizens criticized the statement, and called the former Minister of Defense itone deafalias did not have empathy in the midst of disaster.

In addition, not a few people regretted the President's attitude of accepting reports from his subordinates, one of which was regarding the statement of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia that electricity in the disaster-affected area had returned to normal, even though the reality was not so.

The spokesperson for the United Aceh People's Movement, Masri, said that the government's indifferent attitude made the public wonder how seriously the central government was dealing with disasters in Sumatra.

"Is the government unable to weigh the severity of a disaster, or maybe it doesn't have empathy," said Masri.

Ecological disasters have caused tremendous destruction in many areas of Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. However, the government's disaster management tends to be on the spot. There are still many broken roads, so that many affected areas are still isolated.

The impact of the disaster also spread to areas that were not affected by the disaster. Community activities were hampered because the electricity system had not fully recovered.

In the midst of various limitations experienced by disaster victims, the government is not only considered slow to provide assistance. President Prabowo has been recorded as having come to the disaster site four times and joining the public kitchen, as have ministers, as well as politicians.

However, the arrival of officials has sparked criticism. The public considers them to be a disaster tour, because their arrival at the location is considered nothing more than a formality and maintaining popularity.

There are politicians who review the disaster site while wearing a vest that looks like an anti-bullet vest. There are also officials who carry rice while heading to the victims' houses, but the people around them do not bring any assistance.

Even when going to the disaster site, it turned out that many documentation and public relations team personnel participated. Photos of officials in the affected areas were also uploaded on social media. Netizens launched criticism. The visit of the officials was considered only a gimmick.

The public then compared the content of officials with the actions uploaded by civil society, communities, and influencers who even went directly to the disaster site. From this content, the public understands the actual disaster situation better.

People are no longer relying on information from one source from the government.

"Thus, various models of imaging officials can be read between which are sincere and true in action in the field. For example, from muddy shoes or disaster volunteer vests," said researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Wasisto Raharjo Jati's Political Research Center.

Wasisto added that the content highlighted on the social media of politicians and officials in the context of the disaster in North Sumatra should be related to actions and policies that are pro-disaster handling.

In fact, he continued, officials do not need to be portrayed if the disaster management system is consolidated, synergistic, and supported by competent human resources.

"When that happens, the community will instead convey and promote the work of the official and politician. Voluntarily!" he said.