House Member Demands Full Audit of All Vessels After KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 Disaster
A member of Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Irine Yusiana Roba Putri, has urged the Ministry of Transportation to conduct a total safety audit of all long-distance passenger ship fleets following the disaster that struck the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 in the northern waters of Sumenep, Madura, East Java, on Sunday morning. She stressed that passenger safety must be the absolute priority and the highest law in the provision of public transport, making a safety audit mandatory, especially for vessels carrying a combination of passengers and logistics vehicles.
"The loss of life in public transport services is a tragedy that cannot be considered normal," Irine said in Jakarta on Monday. According to her, the investigation being carried out by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) together with the East Java Regional Police must be thorough and transparent, covering the chronology of the ship’s electrical and engine systems, manifest compliance, and the availability of safety equipment functions. "Such as lifeboats and life jackets, which became a focus of passenger panic at the scene," she continued.
If elements of procedural negligence or neglected ship maintenance by the operator are found, she said, sanctions must be firmly imposed in accordance with regulations. "I have often conveyed in meetings with the government the importance of supervision and budget support for shipping connectivity. This is because I am from North Maluku, an archipelagic province, and I understand the vital importance of ferries for people’s lives," she said. "I express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims who died in this tragedy," she added.
On the other hand, she also expressed appreciation for the joint SAR team, Basarnas Surabaya, the harbourmaster’s office, the police, and the crews of commercial vessels near the location who moved quickly to carry out a dramatic evacuation to save hundreds of passengers’ lives. The KMP Mutiara Sentosa II caught fire on Sunday morning between approximately 06:00 and 07:00 WIB in the Northern Waters of Sumenep, Java Sea. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Transportation, through the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, deployed the patrol vessel KPLP KN Grantin P.211 to the scene and prepared the KN Masalembo to support the handling operation. The evacuation process was also reinforced by the involvement of nearby vessels, namely TB Hasnur 26, KM Prakarsa Mas, KM Meratus Pematang Siantar, and KM Transco Arafura, enabling the rescue effort to proceed quickly and in a coordinated manner.