House Commission V Demands Total Evaluation After Repeated Ferry Fires
Wakil Ketua Komisi V DPR, Syaiful Huda, has demanded a thorough evaluation following the fire on the ferry KMP Putri Yasmin in the waters off Sekotong Beach, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Huda highlighted the persistent issue of safety in public transportation, particularly maritime transport.
“From the very beginning, I have requested a comprehensive evaluation. The core issue concerns safety in public transport, especially our maritime transport,” Huda told reporters on Thursday (13/8/2026).
Huda stressed that a seaworthiness test, or ramp check, must be conducted before every departure. He insisted that sailing permits should not be issued until the authorities have completed a thorough inspection of the engine and the entire vessel.
“First, we want the ramp check for all ships to be carried out properly. A sailing permit must only be granted after a ramp check is completed. The ramp check includes many items concerning the availability of all safety equipment, life jackets, and so on,” he said.
The deputy chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) said ramp checks must be prioritised before a ship is allowed to sail. Huda noted findings that vessels in operation are often modified or carry excess cargo.
“Second, the ramp check also covers the seaworthiness of the ship. This is important. We must not encounter situations in the field where ships have been modified not in accordance with proper standards,” Huda stated.
“For a ferry, this concerns whether all the cars or trucks entering are overloaded or oversized (ODOL). Whether the materials and goods carried are safe or not. So the level of supervision includes oversight of these various matters at the port,” he added.
Huda then addressed the issue of passenger manifests, which is frequently a problem found in the field. He urged the Ministry of Transportation to make this a point of evaluation to always prioritise passenger safety.
“I spoke rather firmly about the manifest yesterday because of what happened in the Mutiara incident. There was no certainty; everyone doubted the manifest. At that time, the issue was 236 people, another issue said 271, and so on. This must not happen again. In that context, as long as this is not fixed, we will continue to find various potential accident events in our maritime transport,” he continued.
Huda reminded that every procedure must be carried out carefully. According to him, established standards must not be compromised.
“Because we do not want another precedent. Previously, during the Mutiara II incident, we said that it would be the last time. But what happened today is something we deeply regret,” Huda expressed.
“Therefore, we truly demand that all regulations be enforced, the implementation of ramp checks, and supervision at ports be maximised. All systems and manifests must ensure there is no discrepancy between the manifest and the number of passengers,” he added.
For information, the KMP Putri Yasmin caught fire while crossing the waters of Sekotong Beach, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. The fire was reported to have occurred on Wednesday (12/8) morning.
As reported by detikBali, a circulating video showed plumes of smoke causing panic among the ship’s passengers. All passengers appeared to have put on life jackets.
“It’s destroyed. Allahu Akbar,” said a man in the video while wearing a life jacket.
The head of the Lembar Port Authority (KSOP), Syamsurizal, said his office had only confirmed one passenger fatality in the incident. “For now, there is still one person dead. We have not confirmed the gender,” he stated at the location on Wednesday (12/8).