Governor assures NTB residents in the Middle East are safe

Mataram (ANTARA) - The Governor of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, has assured that people from the region who are in the Middle East are in good health and safe.

‘Based on my communications with the ambassador, there are NTB residents in almost all Gulf countries. We have entrusted their welfare to the Indonesian Embassy,’ he said when contacted in Mataram on Friday.

He acknowledged that the central government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) and the Indonesian Embassy, has drawn up a contingency plan to ensure the safety of Indonesian nationals in conflict areas, following the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

‘So, everything is under monitoring. If there are members of our community whose families are not yet in the data, they should immediately contact the telephone numbers prepared by the government,’ he said.

Iqbal admitted he had not yet obtained official data on the exact number of NTB residents currently in the Middle East, including whether they are students or migrant workers. Likewise, those seeking repatriation to Indonesia.

‘In what situation the data is? It has been determined by the Indonesian Embassy; whether they are working, gathering, evacuation situations—these all have parameters. That is what is mentioned in the contingency plan. There are emergency situations 1, 2, and 3; all have steps,’ he said.

Therefore, he said, responses are left to each Embassy.

Furthermore, Iqbal said the NTB provincial government continues to coordinate with the central government as a form of local government responsibility to protect its citizens abroad.

‘We urge the public to stay calm and refer only to official information while ensuring that the safety of NTB residents abroad remains the top priority,’ he said.