MPR Chair Calls Floods And Aceh-Sumatra Landslides As Materials For Evaluating Government Policies

Chairman of the MPR RI Ahmad Muzani. (Nailin-VOI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly Ahmad Muzani, highlighted the environmental damage that was considered a 'roof' of floods and landslides that occurred in Aceh, North Sumatra to West Sumatra. According to him, this disaster should be an evaluation material for the government in every policy making.

"I think it is an evaluation material for government policies to organize the environment so that it can be even better," said Muzani at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, December 1.

"But I don't think this is the right time to talk about it. But if you look at the pictures, it is very likely that there will be an impact from policies that damage the environment so that we can feel the consequences until now," continued the former Secretary General of the Gerindra Party.

Muzani hopes that this flood and landslide disaster can be a very important lesson for stakeholders and policymakers in the environmental sector. "So that this (disaster) can be handled immediately so that in the future this can become an evaluation material," he said.

Furthermore, Muzani expressed deep concern over the fall of 442 fatalities in floods and landslides in Sumatra. Among them, 96 people died in Aceh, 129 people in West Sumatra, and 217 people in North Sumatra. In addition, hundreds of people are reportedly still being searched and hundreds more are injured.

"The damage caused by the disaster is also quite alarming, quite severe, destroying public infrastructure, roads, bridges, schools, places of worship, to houses. Many livestock are also affected by being victims, including rice fields that are ready to harvest are also affected. I think the victims are very wide, very deep, felt by people in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra," said Muzani.

Even so, Muzani appreciated the central government's quick response to immediately restore the situation in the area, especially to turn on blackout electricity, cut communication tools, and distribution of the needed needs.

"Although the conditions are very difficult, they must be flown by air, helicopters, but the central government, in this case, BNPB assisted by the police and the TNI acting quickly, swiftly so that optimism and expectations of the people in the area can slowly be recovered and hopefully in the not too distant future, infrastructure connections can be carried out immediately in these areas," he said.

On the other hand, Muzani appealed to the public to remain calm in facing the current situation. Do not let, said Muzani, news in the media such as looting happen again.

"I think it is better to be detained, controlled, because the government is taking quick measures to immediately meet the needs of our brothers and sisters, our friends who are currently experiencing disasters, including in refugee tents," Muzani appealed.

"Hopefully the quick action of the police, TNI and BNPB can quickly meet the needs expected by the community so that what is reported can be prevented quickly," he concluded.