Interior Minister Requests Regional Leaders to Remain "On Standby" During Eid, Says Duties Cannot Be Delegated

Jakarta — Interior Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has stressed the importance of regional leaders’ presence in controlling various issues that may emerge during the homecoming period and Eid celebrations.

This is a key reason why the Interior Ministry is requesting all regional leaders to remain in their respective territories during the 2026 Eid period.

“The duties of a regional head cannot be delegated. If handed over to a deputy, the deputy cannot make decisions — they’ll be hesitant. The regional secretary will be even more hesitant. A regional head can make decisions,” said Tito when met at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta on Tuesday (10 March 2026).

According to Tito, Indonesia’s Eid celebrations are always accompanied by massive population mobility. He cited Java Island, one of the world’s most densely populated regions, as an example of an area that will experience significant mobility surges during Eid.

“The homecoming and return migration will involve enormous population mobility, including logistics and other matters. Particularly in Java, one of the world’s most densely populated regions, the homecoming and return migration will involve extraordinary mobility — both of people and goods,” said Tito.

Beyond population mobility, regional authorities must also be vigilant about potential natural disasters, given Indonesia’s location in a disaster-prone zone.

“We also see that we have disaster potential — the ring of fire. The recent Sumatra incident involved landslides, flooding in Java, and volcanic eruptions that must be monitored,” he said.

“The celebration itself must proceed smoothly and successfully. We must also maintain price stability and goods availability, keep inflation and other factors under control, and ensure goods remain available,” said Tito.

He added that many transport facilities in regions fall under the jurisdiction of regional governments, such as small ports and local transport services.

Therefore, regional heads must be present to coordinate various parties.

“Small ports that are under regional authority, local transport, food availability — all these require the regional head’s presence,” he said.

“The regional head is also the chair of Forkopimda (Regional Leadership Coordination Forum). Military commanders, police commanders, and prosecutors all answer to the regional head,” he concluded.