Prabowo Subianto's Story to Help Lombok Earthquake Victims 2018

Political figure, Prabowo Subianto when visiting the Guntur Macan Village evacuation post, West Lombok, September 5, 2018. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - There is no doubt that the government was slow in handling the Lombok earthquake, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) in 2018. This condition made the national figure move on his own to help the Lombok community.

Take the example of Prabowo Subianto and the Gerindra Party. Both work effectively to help the people of Lombok. Gerindra Party volunteers are spread out. Doctors are on alert. Emergency schools are built. This makes the people of Lombok feel the benefits.

The Indonesian government often lacks focus in efforts to prevent or reduce the impact of disasters. As a result, when disasters actually occur, the government is often confused and surprised to help its people.

This condition was seen during the Lombok earthquake in 2018. The big earthquake hit Lombok twice. The first earthquake occurred on July 29, 2018. Its strength reached 6.4 Richter Scale (SR).

The second earthquake occurred on August 5, 2018. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0 SR. The strength was devastating the entire island of Lombok. The death toll reached hundreds of people. Those who were displaced reached hundreds of thousands of people.

A woman passes near a house that collapsed due to an earthquake in Pesanggrahan Village, Montong Gading District, Selong, East Lombok, NTB, Monday, March 18, 2019. According to data from the NTB BPBD, there were 28 houses that were severely damaged and 499 houses were moderately and slightly damaged due to the earthquake that shook Lombok. (ANTARA)

They lost their homes and families. Some also lost their livelihoods due to the earthquake. The government was also asked to move quickly to help disaster victims. Many of the evacuation and distribution of aid processes could not be done to the maximum because the damage was too high.

Many roads are still isolated. However, the government is moving slowly. A number of national figures have asked the government to place the Lombok earthquake disaster as a national disaster. This can make the government focus on recovering Lombok.

The result is that the government refuses to give the status of national disaster. The owner of the power feels capable of recovering. Even though the fact is that the government is not effective in helping the victims of the Lombok disaster. A thing that later became the material for criticism by many people and the opposition. Take the example of the Gerindra Party.

"Unfortunately, until now the government has not yet increased the status. If we refer to Law Number 24 of 2007 Article 7 paragraph 2, is not the damage, the number of victims and the social and economic impacts caused by the earthquake disaster already included in the criteria for national disasters?"

"For the sake of humanity, the Gerindra Party urges the government to immediately declare the Lombok earthquake as a national disaster. With the aim that post-disaster handling of the affected areas can be carried out intensively and become a form of government commitment to accelerate handling the impact of disasters in Lombok. Salam Indonesia Raya," read the page. Facebook Gerindra Party, August 21, 2018.

Prabowo to Lombok

This condition makes Prabowo and the Gerindra Party move quickly. Prabowo instructed volunteers and doctors to be deployed to various Lombok disaster locations. Gerindra cadres also built a temporary school for disaster victims.

Prabowo promised to bring additional assistance and to directly go to Lombok to monitor the situation. Prabowo is not alone. He plans to come with all the cadres of Gerindra and donors who help.

The goal is so that the sensitivity of Gerindra cadres is more open to helping each other. Gerindra cadres will also later provide input on what kind of assistance Lombok residents need. Gerindra seems not to care much about the government's steps, which are considered very late.

As a result, Prabowo was present in Lombok on September 5, 2018. Prabowo visited Guntur Macan and Dopang Villages, West Lombok. A village whose buildings were damaged by the earthquake. Prabowo also expressed his condolences.

"I came here for no other purpose than to give a sense of care and think and want to do as quickly as possible so that assistance can be provided to the refugees and solve the problems faced by the refugees," said Prabowo as quoted by the lamankompas.com, September 5, 2018.

Prabowo also agreed to all kinds of desires of the Community for assistance. He provided access so that the Community could get assistance quickly without having to wait for a long time by utilizing his party's network.

This condition makes Prabowo's arrival special. Even though Prabowo is known as the opposition to the government and the presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election. They are happy that Prabowo came and was more responsive than the government.

The assistance from Prabowo can be immediately used for many purposes. Some of them ask Prabowo to build temporary housing so that people can go home and not be long in exile.

"The community is very enthusiastic about Prabowo's arrival. We hope that Prabowo can help Huntara (temporary housing) for us who have been in exile for too long, we are proud that Prabowo is coming," said the Head of the Village, Guntur Macan, Murni as quoted by lamankompas.com, 5 September 2018.