Foreign Ministry Assists Handling of Indonesians Affected by Major Fire in Sabah, Malaysia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has confirmed that it has taken steps to assist Indonesian citizens (WNI) affected by a major fire in a residential area in Sabah, Malaysia, on Sunday (19/4). “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Kota Kinabalu and the Directorate of WNI Protection, continues to monitor developments and provide assistance in handling the fire incident in the Sandakan area, Sabah, Malaysia,” said Director of WNI Protection at Kemlu RI, Heni Hamidah, when contacted in Jakarta on Monday. In addition to Malaysian citizens, most residents of the burned residential area are known to be Indonesians married to locals and Filipinos. However, she said, the exact number of Indonesians affected by the fire is still unknown. Following the incident, Kemlu RI, together with KJRI Kota Kinabalu, is conducting intensive coordination with local authorities to obtain accurate data on affected Indonesians and to assist in handling refugees and distributing aid. Based on field monitoring, the victims have been accommodated in temporary shelters and are receiving assistance from local authorities. KJRI Kota Kinabalu is also preparing to facilitate immigration documents for Indonesians who lost important documents due to the fire, Heni said. “At this time, the government’s main focus is to ensure the safety and registration of all affected Indonesians,” said the Director of WNI Protection at Kemlu. Given that KJRI Kota Kinabalu is still compiling data on the exact number of affected Indonesians, Heni asked families in Indonesia with relatives in the area to remain calm and await official information from the government. According to a report from Bernama News Agency, more than 9,000 residents were reported affected by the major fire in the floating residential area of Kampung Bahagia, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia, in the early hours of Sunday local time. Sandakan District Police Chief, ACP George Abd Rakman, said that 1,000 out of 1,200 houses in the area were destroyed by the fire. The fire report was received at 01:30 a.m., and the location was declared a disaster area at 04:00 a.m. He stated that no reports of fatalities had been received in the incident. “What occurred is likely injuries while saving property or helping others,” he said. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed his concern over the fire incident and urged that the safety of the victims and the delivery of aid be made immediate priorities at the scene.