Issue Of Discrimination Against Madurese Behind Corona And Markona

JAKARTA - The blockage on the Suramadu bridge that connects Madura and Surabaya, East Java has a long tail. Not only the destruction at the Suramadu isolation post, Madurese people flocked to the Surabaya City Hall. They protested the Mayor of Surabaya, Eri Cahyadi.

Long ago when the Suramadu blockade began, protests began to show. They started to break through the Suramadu route and eventually damaged the Suramadu isolation post.

The destruction of the Suramadu Command Post occurred in the early hours of Friday, June 18. It was said that the mass destruction was caused by residents from Madura to Surabaya in a hurry.

"On average they are in a hurry to go to work and leave before dawn. Then here there is a buildup so they have to wait. Well, at that time there were those who were impatient and wanted to hurry up until others were affected," said Deputy Secretary of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID -19 Surabaya, Irvan Widyanto, 18 June.

Previously, several videos of the destruction of the isolation post in Suramadu on the Surabaya side went viral on a number of social media. In the video, tables and chairs are scattered and a number of documents are scattered.

Several officers and health workers who were unable to contain the residents finally saved themselves. A number of TNI-Polri officers seemed to try to calm the residents at the location and soon the situation was under control.

Irvan explained that the vandalism occurred at around 04.45 western Indonesia time, while the accumulation of residents began at 03.00 western Indonesia time.

"It turns out that at the Bangkalan isolation post there has been no test, so when we were here we did an antigen test. Because it was piling up, in a hurry it was crowded and there was damage earlier," he said.

Although there was a riot, he admitted that it did not damage the test equipment and health.

"The scattered tables and chairs, then documents as well. Thankfully, no one attacked the officers so they can be controlled immediately," said the head of the Surabaya City Disaster Management and Community Protection Agency (BPB Linmas).

Mayor of Surabaya Protested

Mayor of Surabaya Eri Cahyadi met hundreds of Madurese who demonstrated against blocking the Suramadu Bridge in front of the Surabaya City Hall, East Java.

"I'm just carrying out my duties. The partition is not a municipal government policy, but a request for letters from the East Java Provincial Government and Bangkalan Regency Government," said Eri Cahyadi when meeting protesters at City Hall, quoted by Antara, Monday, June 21.

Some of the crowds were crammed together and did not wear masks, but others continued to apply health protocols by wearing masks and keeping their distance.

They unfurled protest posters that read "The Mayor of Surabaya must apologize to the Madurese", "stop discriminatory partitions", "In Madura, there is no corona, only markona" and other writings.

Before Mayor Eri met with the masses, there was a tug of war, where the Surabaya COVID-19 Task Force asked representatives of 20 Madurese to enter Surabaya City Hall, while the demonstrators refused the request.

The crowd urged Mayor Eri Cahyadi to come out of his office to meet them directly in front of the Surabaya City Hall courtyard.

"We asked Mr. Eri to meet us here. We asked for the partition to be stopped," said one participant in the protest, Nasikin.

Eri Cahyadi Reports to Governor Khofifah

Mayor of Surabaya Eri Cahyadi met with the Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa. The goal was to convey the aspirations of the demonstrators on behalf of the "United Madura Community Coalition", to stop the blockade on the Suramadu Bridge.

Unfortunately, Eri Cahyadi did not explain in detail the results of the meeting. Eri only said that the aspirations of the protesters had been submitted to the Governor of East Java.

According to him, what the mass of action wanted was actually almost the same as the East Java governor's directive on focusing on security at the village or sub-district level.

"So that later we will carry out security for the area by going to the village or sub-district, and it has been carried out in Surabaya, and in Surabaya, it has been carried out in the urban village, so the wards have been guarded," said Eri Cahyadi in Surabaya, Monday, June 21.

Eri Cahyadi asserted, if this can work in Bangkalan and the case has started to slow down, then it is likely that there is no need to carry out isolation in Suramadu. However, Mayor Surabaya said that further coordination meetings were needed.

"God willing, the decision will be taken by the Commander of the TNI, what should be done, whether it must still be carried out first or has it been strengthened starting today at the village level, after that there will be no need for isolation. So, we are waiting for directions from the Commander, God willing, we will be ready to carry out," he said.

Mandatory SIKM

Bangkalan Regent Abdul Latif Amin Imron said Bangkalan residents who wanted to cross the Suramadu Bridge and Kamal Port had to obtain an entry and exit permit (SIKM) from the local sub-district head.

"The policy to enforce this SIKM follows up on the results of the coordination meeting between the East Java Provincial Government and the Bangkalan Regency Forkopimda which was held on Saturday (19/6) at the Bangkalan BPWS Rest Area and the policy starts today, 21 June 2021," he said in Bangkalan, quoted by Antara, Monday, June 21.

The Regent explained that many Madurese are active and on duty in the city of Surabaya, so they have to go back and forth from Bangkalan to Surabaya.

The local government is trying to make restrictions to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission due to the mobility of residents from Bangkalan to Surabaya and vice versa by imposing SIKM requirements for residents who will cross the Suramadu Bridge and Kamal Port, the route that connects Madura Island with Java Island.

The Regent said that SIKM was prioritized for residents who commuted from Bangkalan to Surabaya every day, such as traders, laborers, informal workers, private employees, and government employees.

SIKM is issued by the sub-district office according to the area where the applicant lives and is valid for seven days from the date of issue.

Residents who wish to apply for SIKM must attach the negative results of the antigen examination test and a certificate from the agency where they work and/or other certificates that are in accordance with their activities from the relevant parties.

"Rapid antigen test services are carried out by Syamrabu Hospital and Puskesmas throughout Bangkalan Regency every working day from 09.00 to 12.00 western Indonesia time without charge or free of charge. For passers who do not take care of SIKM, they will continue to follow the isolation process through rapid antigen tests," said Regent Abdul Latif Amin Imron.