Adjutant Aniaya Truck Driver, West Kutai Regent Apologizes

The Regents of Kubar FX Yapan and Daniel (left) in Barong Tongkok, Thursday (21/12/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Humas Kubar Regency Government)

BALIKPAPAN - West Kutai Regent FX Yapan apologized for the beating by his aide against a truck driver carrying crude palm oil in the Kinong area, Damai District, West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan.

The beating by the West Kutai regent's aide was caught on the residents' cellphone cameras and uploaded to social media until it went viral.

"Therefore, on behalf of myself, my family, the West Kutai Government, and on behalf of my aide, I apologize for something that should not have happened," Yapan said in a press conference reported by ANTARA, Thursday, December 21.

According to the Regent of Yapan, the beating began when the group of cars he was traveling in met a convoy of five trucks carrying crude palm oil.

The Yapan Regent's car group is on its way home from the campaign from Jempang District and uses a private car without escorting the protocol.

The crude palm oil (CPO) transport trucks with a capacity of 15 tons or 20 tons are large, long, and wide vehicles.

The driver did not immediately see other vehicles behind him if he only relied on rearview mirrors. Because the size and width of the road are only six meters, it is not easy for the West Kutai regent's entourage to overtake the CPO truck.

When entering the Damai intersection, the Yapan Regent's car group asked for the CPO transport trucks. Four trucks gave way with a little pull over, but the last truck driven by Andri Rahman continued to drive as initially using the entire road.

The driver of the Regent of Yapan waved his hand at the CPO truck driver as a sign asking for a walk, apart from being behind the group there was an ambulance.

Then the regent's car continued to try to overtake. Right away, a bus appeared from the opposite direction.

"When he wanted to enter (the bridge) of Kinong, there was a bus from the front, then Daniel (the aide) waved so that the CPO truck gave way, while the bus had stopped. But, as soon as we wanted to enter overtaking, he was beaten again. He was almost rolled up (hit)," said Yapan.

Yapan's intention said that "he was beaten" was that the CPO truck did not reduce its speed and remained on track, thus making the car that the Yapan Regent was riding off track and stop. The CPO truck driven by Andri Rahman also stopped.

Then the Yapan aide and Regent came down to reprimand the CPO truck driver. However, when reprimanded, according to Yapan, the CPO truck driver was even angry.

The regent's aide was emotional and asked the CPO truck driver to get out of his vehicle so that the persecution occurred.

"Because Daniel's emotions finally happened that something we didn't want to do. I also came out to intervene and then there was a call for me to come out and intervene. But, he was kicked by Daniel (aide). If it happens (accident) he didn't meet us today," said Yapan.

Even so, Yapan admitted that both parties had forgiven each other and signed a peace statement on Thursday morning. On the other hand, even though they have forgiven each other, the news of mass media or the response of netizens on social media is still busy with the incident.

The beatings called the West Kutai Regent FX Yapan due to these emotions, were referred to by a number of media as "barbarbaric acts" or "persecution".

In the video circulating, it was seen that a man in a red shirt kicked and forcibly pulled the truck driver, while the driver only seemed to surrender and did not fight back.