Government Insists 'Red and White' Village Cooperative Programme Will Continue Despite Fatalities
The government has ensured that the Merah Putih Village Cooperative programme will continue, despite incidents that resulted in the deaths of several participants during related activities.
Deputy State Secretary Juri Ardiantoro emphasised that the handling of these incidents will be conducted separately from the implementation of the Merah Putih Cooperative programme, which is currently ongoing. He noted that risk mitigation for a programme and the management of incidents are two distinct issues. “Mitigation is certainly different between the Merah Putih Cooperative programme itself, including the provision of resources to manage it, and the handling of events or incidents such as these, which will be managed as best as possible,” Jema stated on Thursday.
He explained that the government will ensure every incident arising during the programme’s implementation receives appropriate handling. However, these incidents will not affect the continuity of the programme, which was designed to strengthen the village economy through cooperative development. According to Juri, the government’s current focus is to ensure the programme remains on track with its objectives while addressing the impacts of the recent events professionally and responsibly.
Consequently, the government is separating the technical evaluation of the programme from the handling of the incidents involving fatalities. This step is considered vital so that the objectives of rural economic development through the Merah Putih Cooperative can proceed. “Regarding incidents such as these, they will be handled as best as possible and will certainly be separated from the activities or the continuation of this programme; therefore, the Merah Putih Cooperative programme will certainly continue,” he said.
It is reported that the number of fatalities during the basic military training under the Indonesian Builder Driver Graduate (SPPI) programme for the Kopdes-KNMP has risen to three. The most recent deceased participant is Novia Rahmadhani Sihotang. Novia passed away on Tuesday (23/6) after experiencing health complications during the training. According to Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence Secretariat General, Novia’s condition was related to tuberculosis (TB).
Prior to Novia, two other SPPI programme participants, who were being prepared as managers for the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDKMP) and Merah Putih Fishing Village (KNMP), also passed away during training. These participants were Anisa Muyassaroh and Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq. Rico explained that Anisa died from heatstroke during training at the Rindam VI/Mulawarman Training Unit in Balikpapan. Heatstroke is a medical emergency caused by extreme heat exposure, where core body temperature rises drastically, potentially exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq passed away while undergoing training at the Kodiklatad Combat Training Centre in Baturaja. Officials emphasised that all supervisory bodies, including the Ombudsman, may exercise their authority to ensure the programme adheres to regulations.
Vice President Gibran Rakabulating Raka has reminded that the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP) should not compete with existing community businesses that have already established themselves in villages. The government has also ensured that the financing for the Merah Putih Cooperative will utilise existing government funds and state budget (APBN) allocations, without burdening State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) or increasing the budget deficit. Additionally, the Regent of Sidoarjo, Subandi, has issued an instruction for civil servants and local community leaders (RT/RW) to become members of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative to strengthen the village economy. Claims linking the closure of certain Alfamart and Indomaret outlets to the presence of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDKMP) have been deemed inaccurate.