Indonesian President Joko Widodo cut out from the Asian Games a little early before the event’s closing in Jakarta to visit evacuation camps in earthquake-stricken Lombok.
Speaking from a camp on Sunday in Gunungsari, West Lombok, the president held a special meeting, addressing the rebuilding effort.
While at the camp, Jokowi also managed to telecommute in and close the Asian Games—a move that has been criticized by a few commentators and politicians, including the Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives (DPR), Fadli Zon.
In a petty comment where he retweeted a video of Jokowi’s remarks closing the games, Zon wrote: “You can be nominated for an Oscar”.
Bisa masuk nominasi Piala Oscar nih. https://t.co/4bQbqwvpRf
— Fadli Zon (@fadlizon) September 2, 2018
Former General Johannes Suryo Prabowo also jumped in, accusing Jokowi of insensitively using earthquake victims as “props”, apparently in a PR-orchestrated tactic.
Prabowo tweeted the following snarky poll:
The visit to Lombok can be done the next day, after the closing of the Asian Games 2018, but he chose today to speak from a refugee tent. The meaning is:
a) pretending to care about the disaster
b) just for entertainment
c) runaway from speaking English (having to give an address at the games)
kunjungan ke lombok benernya bisa dilakukan keesokan harinya setelah penutupan AG2018, tapi dia pilih hari ini, lalu ngasi amanat dari tenda pengungsi, maksudnya adalah :
— J.S. Prabowo (@marierteman) September 2, 2018
The trip very could well be both a mix of sympathy and compassion, as well as a calculated PR move, but we’re sure the president would’ve gotten an earful from commentators calling him out for lavishing in the games and ignoring people suffering if he had remained in Jakarta over the weekend, anyway.
Political sword-swinging aside, at the meeting on Sunday, the president focused his discussion on construction in Lombok, which has the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing at the helm (PUPR).
Last week, PUPR sent 400 engineering civil servant candidates to Lombok to start helping rebuild homes. IDR50 million (US$3,382) has been pledged per family by the government to go towards rebuilding for homes categorized as having “severe” damage, while IDR25 million (US$1,691) will go to fixing homes with “moderate” damage and IDR10 million (US$677) to homes with “minor damage,” in accordance with Presidential Instruction (Inpres) no. 5/2018.
IDR264 billion (US$17.9 million) in assistance has been allocated so far, reports Liputan6.
The engineers will build RISHA style homes, which are simple, “instant”, and earthquake-resistant. The homes can apparently repurpose building materials from preexisting broken structures, so workers won’t be starting from scratch.
During his remarks on Sunday, Jokowi said he understood that Lombok residents will want some control in building homes to suited to their own needs and taste, that he encourages residents to look at using wood and bamboo, but also that the government under the supervision of PUPR must make sure the homes are built in an earthquake-resistant style.
“I see that there seems to be a desire by the community to build houses according to their desires. In principle, that’s no problem, but the functionality must be properly evaluated. Using RISHA,” Jokowi said, as quoted by Detik.
Sitting on the Ring of Fire, it’s so important that buildings be able to withstand earthquakes, explained the president. The province containing Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is often hit by earthquakes, he aded, citing 1979 as a particularly devastating year.
“We know that there was also a big earthquake here, in 1979. What does that mean? The houses built will have to be earthquake resistant, so if there is an earthquake again, the house will not be a problem,” he said, as quoted by Liputan6.
“We want the existing houses to be built as quickly as possible. Therefore, all must work hard, with mutual cooperation, because the rainy season will start soon. The roofs should be built at least, so shelter can be taken once the rainy season arrives,” the president said.
This is the third time that Jokowi has personally visited Lombok since a 6.4 earthquake rocked the island on July 29.
Communities in West Lombok, Central Lombok, East Lombok, and the island’s capital, Mataram city, are the areas most impacted by a series of earthquakes and tremors that have amounted to almost 2,000 shakes after the July 29 quake, including a big 7.0 on Aug. 5 and 6.9 on Aug. 19. At least 555 people have been recorded as dead.
As of Aug. 25, the island was no longer in a state of emergency, which was previously declared by West Nusa Tenggara Province, but things are now transitioning into the “recovery” phase.
In addition to rebuilding homes, the president says there will also be an emphasis on public facilities such as markets, schools, places of worship, health centers, and hospitals. These are targeted to be fully functional by December 2018, Okezone reports.
Present at the meeting with Jokowi were PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Social Affairs Agus Gumiwang, NTB governor M Zainul Majdi, Military Commander marshal Hadj Tjahjanto, National Police Chief. Gen. Tito Karnavian, Cabinet Secretary Promono Anung, and National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Willem Rampangilei.
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