Comedian and Firefighter Khairul Umam Receives Threats After Posting Content About Helmets
A firefighter in Depok, who also works as a comedian, Khairul Umam, is now in the public spotlight. Not because of his humorous acts on stage, but because of a series of threats he has received after uploading educational content about the function of helmets as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The incident began on Sunday, February 22nd, when Umam uploaded a video to his personal Instagram account, @xkhairulumam. In the video titled “Day 1: Learn About the Function of PPE”, Umam explained that helmets are designed to protect the head, not to injure it.
“I want to let you know, this is called a helmet, its function is to protect the head, not to destroy it,” Umam said in the video. He also added a subtle jab about the situation at the time, “They say that during Ramadan, demons are imprisoned, so why are there still people like this?”
Although he did not mention any specific institution or name, many netizens have linked the content to the case of alleged assault of a student in the city of Tual, Maluku, by an officer wearing a tactical helmet, which resulted in the victim’s death.
Three days later, on Wednesday, February 25th, Umam revealed that he had begun receiving threatening messages from unknown individuals. The threats were not only in the comments section but also in his personal WhatsApp messages.
More worryingly, the perpetrators of the threats are suspected of carrying out doxing or revealing personal data. The perpetrators sent two complete addresses belonging to Umam, namely his personal home and his wife’s home.
“Here are the two addresses, don’t forget to wear your helmet so that it always protects your head,” read a snippet of the threatening message received by Umam.
“So after my ‘Day 1 learn about the function of PPE’ content, there have been a lot of threats, even via WhatsApp. And I still don’t know who this person is.”
To date, Khairul Umam’s social media comment section has been flooded with support from fellow comedians and the public. Many have condemned the intimidation and called on the authorities to provide protection to Umam as a public official who is carrying out his educational duties.
This case adds to the long list of risks faced by individuals who voice criticism or provide education in the digital space, especially when the issue touches on the sensitivities of certain institutions. (E-4)
The incident that befell comedian Khairul Umam in February 2026 is an important reminder to us all about the vulnerability of personal data in the digital space.
Starting from educational content about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Umam had to face serious threats that targeted his family’s privacy.