Viral Extortion For Free Homecoming, Regent Of Sumenep, East Java Clarifies

Sumenep Regent Achmad Fauzi when inspecting the departure of ships to the Sumenep Islands on the free homecoming program to the 2022 islands. (Sumenep Kominfo)

SUMENEP - The Regent of Sumenep, East Java, Achmad Fauzi straightened the news circulating on social media Facebook which stated that there was a practice of levying unscrupulous officers on participants for free Lebaran homecoming from Kalianget Port to Sumenep Islands.

"It's not true that there is news that the free homecoming program is still being charged. It's called free homecoming, so everything is free," he said in Sumenep, East Java, Tuesday, clarifying that was reported by Antara, Tuesday, April 26.

The Sumenep Regent explained that his party asked for clarification directly from the harbormaster at Kalianget Port, as well as a number of officers and residents from the Sumenep Islands.

He explained that the withdrawal of money by the officer was only for passengers who did not have a free homecoming ticket, so the officer asked the passenger to pay the ticket price.

When the officer asked the passenger who did not have a free ticket, the other ship passengers recorded the officer's action in the form of a video and then uploaded it to social media Facebook.

The video upload has created a perception among netizens that the free homecoming program from Kalinget Port to the Sumenep Islands is still colored by the practice of illegal fees.

"So, again, that's not true. I have asked about the issue of ticketing the ticket fee and it turns out that there were indeed some passengers who boarded before having a ticket, as a result the ship after checking did not have a ticket, was pulled by the officer," he explained, explaining.

Withdrawal of money to passengers who do not have tickets in the free homecoming program on the program's inaugural departure using KM Sabuk Nusantara 91 on April 24, 2022.

According to the regent, on this Eid 1443 Hijri, the Sumenep Regency Government provided four fleets of ships to serve the free homecoming program from Kalianget Port to a number of islands in the area.

The four ships are the Pioneer Ship KM Sabuk Nusantara 91, Dharma Kartika Ship, Satya Kencana Ship, and Dharma Bahari Sumekar (DBS) III Ship.

This free homecoming program routes all islands in Sumenep, such as Masalembu, Kangean, Sapeken, Raas and Sapudi Island.

Residents who want to take advantage of this free homecoming program must attach a number of requirements, including a photocopy of their ID/KK and have been vaccinated against COVID-19.