Adkasi Thanks ANTARA for Raising Public Awareness about Sumatra Disaster

Jakarta — The Association of District Parliaments Throughout Indonesia (Adkasi) has expressed gratitude to state-owned news agency Perum LKBN ANTARA for its coverage of severe flooding in Sumatra, which is credited with raising public awareness regarding the scale and impact of the disaster.

“I have observed and I am grateful, among others, to ANTARA. Because of ANTARA, following social media, that brought public awareness that the Sumatra flooding is actually an extraordinary disaster,” said Adkasi Deputy Chair Anton Yondra during a podcast with ANTARA TV in Jakarta on Monday.

Anton noted that initially the public did not believe the flooding had caused casualties, and that ANTARA’s reporting provided accurate information about the disaster conditions.

“At first, people thought the Sumatra flooding was a minor flood with no casualties. Then when it was exposed, including by ANTARA, I continued monitoring social media, and only then did people realise that this Sumatra flood is extraordinary,” he said.

To restore public facilities damaged by flooding, Anton explained that regional governments still require assistance from the central government for recovery efforts in each area.

“However, we certainly still require significant attention from the central government, because post-disaster management, particularly recovery of damaged public facilities, cannot be accommodated through the budget transfers already made,” he said.

“We still need substantial funding for repairs to damaged facilities, and our people who may have lost family members today,” he added.

“Through this media, we can finally open the conversation, and the community becomes aware. Our hope is indeed infrastructure first from the community. Because the damage resulting from flooding and landslides — bridges, especially vital access routes — those have not been repaired even until now,” he said.

Adkasi hopes its presence will be considered by the central government in addressing various problems in many regions that have not yet found solutions to this day.

“That is why with Adkasi, hopefully our voices from below can be heard with Adkasi’s unity to build the nation together,” he concluded.