JAKARTA - The government strictly prohibits people from going home on this year's Eid. All residents, from 6 to 17 May 2021, are not allowed to return to their hometowns except for urgent matters.
However, suddenly, the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Ma'ruf Amin asked the local government to give dispensation for santri who were undergoing education at the Islamic boarding school to return to their respective homes on the Idulfitri 1442 Hijriah holiday.
According to transportation observer from the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), Djoko Setijowarno, the government should not give dispensation to a group of people regarding the ban on going home this year.
"If the government provides too many dispensations, it will appear that the government is not serious about reducing the spread of COVID-19 during homecoming," Djoko told VOI, Sunday, April 25.
Djoko wants the government to understand that many inter-city inter-provincial bus fleet (AKAP) entrepreneurs are forced to lose their income because they obey the rules of eliminating the Eid homecoming.
If the government grants dispensation from the ban on homecoming for santri, Djoko is worried that many other parties also want to get exemptions from this year's ban on going home.
"Just imagine if later the Chair of the MPR, the Speaker of the DPR and the chairmen of the parties ask for dispensation. What is the use of the rules that have been made difficult. Just revoke all the rules for homecoming that have been made, because there will be too many dispensations being asked for," he said.
Previously, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin hoped that the students would get an exemption from being able to go home on the Lebaran 2021 holiday. In fact, the government previously decided to prohibit human movement to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 cases.
Wapres spokesman Masduki Baidlwoi said that the Vice President's wish could be expressed by asking the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board to send a letter to President Joko Widodo or Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.
"In certain cases, if deemed necessary, the Vice President asked the NU Executive Board to write a letter specifically to the President or the Vice President or the National Dirlantas so that there would be dispensation," Masduki said, Friday, April 23.
Masduki said it was important so that the students could go home to meet their parents after taking boarding education at the Islamic boarding school.
"The vice president asked that there be dispensation for students to return to their respective homes without being subject to strict rules regarding the ban on going home, which is related to the current pandemic context," he added.
The dispensation is necessary because the students who are currently studying in boarding school generally come from outside the Islamic boarding school area.
However, Masduki corrected his words again. He said the proposal to allow the students to go home only during a period of tightening travel.
"So, once again it is emphasized, that the return of the students from the pesantren is not during the Prohibition of Homecoming on May 6-17. However, it is in the period of tightening homecoming, which is around May 4-5," he said on Saturday, April 25.
The ease of going home for the students is an option given by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin after knowing the concerns of the students about the tightening of the homecoming trip from the Government.
"The students are worried that they will not be able to gather with their parents. They are worried that they will not be able to go home after the recitation period is over, because generally Ramadan recitation only ends on the 21st day of Ramadan or May 3, 2021," said Masduki.
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