South Aceh Regent Umrah During Disaster, AnggtotaDPR Asks Minister Of Home Affairs To Be Firm: Don't Let Regional Heads Act As They Like

Residents on the bridge that was cut off due to the flood and overflow of the Peusangan River in Peusangan Selatan, Bireuen, Aceh, Wednesday (3/12/2025). BETWEEN PHOTOS/Irwansyah Putra/nz. (ANTARA PHOTO/IRWANSYAH PUTRA)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission II of the DPR Eka Widodo, regretted the actions of the South Aceh Regent Mirwan MS who chose to go for Umrah with his wife in the midst of the flood that hit his area.

He considered that the regent's attitude did not reflect the responsibility of a regional leader, let alone carried out without permission from the Governor of Aceh or the Minister of Home Affairs.

Therefore, the member of the domestic government commission asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to take firm steps in accordance with applicable regulations. Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, according to Eka, must be able to take action according to the rules so that other regional heads do not imitate it.

"Do not let the precedent of regional heads act at will without thinking about the safety and interests of their citizens," said Eka, Monday, December 8.

Eka Widodo juga menegaskan seorang kepala daerah seharusnya berada di tengah masyarakat saat menghadapi situasi darurat, bukan justru meninggalkan wilayah ketika warganya membutuhkan kehadiran dan arahan dari pemerintah.

"As a leader, the Regent of South Aceh should be at the forefront of dealing with disasters. The decision to leave Umrah without permission, and when the community is affected by a disaster, it is clearly a form of neglect of public responsibility," he said.

The PKB legislator who is familiarly called Edo said the action not only violated governance related to foreign travel permits for regional officials, but also has the potential to erode public trust in local governments. He hopes this incident will be a lesson for all regional heads to prioritize public services.

"Especially during a disaster that requires a quick response and leadership to attend," concluded the member of the DPR from the Central Java IX electoral district.