DPR Member Urges Government to Evaluate Ship Safety Oversight After Ferry Fire

A member of Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Ade Ginanjar, has urged the government to conduct a thorough evaluation of the shipping safety supervision system following the fire aboard the KMP Putri Yasmin in the waters of the Lombok Strait, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Wednesday (12/8). The incident resulted in one fatality, while 172 people were successfully evacuated.

In a statement released in Jakarta on Thursday, Ade stated that the evaluation must cover vessel seaworthiness, technical inspections, engine and electrical system maintenance, the readiness of safety equipment, and operator compliance with safety procedures. He emphasized that the series of ship fires occurring in close succession should not be viewed as isolated events.

“We must not fall into the trap of only tightening inspections after there are casualties. If there are weaknesses in the supervision system, fix them immediately; if safety standards still have gaps, they must be strengthened,” Ade asserted. He also highlighted the discrepancy in the passenger manifest data, stressing that accurate manifests are crucial for search and rescue operations to ensure that all passengers are accounted for during an emergency.

Ade further requested that inspections go beyond merely checking the completeness of seaworthiness documents, ensuring that the physical condition of the vessel is genuinely safe before and during operation. Commission V is scheduled to summon the Ministry of Transportation on 19 August to discuss the KMP Putri Yasmin incident, alongside the recent KM Mutiara Sentosa II fire in the waters north of Sumenep.