Mandala assists victim's families

Mandala assists victim's families

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta post, Medan

Cash assistance of Rp 300 million (US$30,000) each has started to
be distributed in Medan to 119 families of crash victims living
in North Sumatra and Aceh by PT Mandala Airlines on Monday.

The company shall also be giving cash assistance to the
families of residents who were killed when a Mandala Airlines
aircraft crashed into a densely populated area near Polonia
Airport on Sept. 5.

All 119 families of the crash victims would receive the
assistance once they had completed registration procedures,
including providing documents that proved they are the heirs of
the crash victims.

On Monday, several families, including the family of the late
Regional Representatives Council member Abdul Halim Harahap and
his wife, who died in the tragic crash, were not paid because
they could not present the requested documents.

Abdul Hafiz Harahap, a brother of the victim, said he was
disappointed with the registration system imposed by Mandala.

He said he could not meet the administrative requirements
because he could not provide identity cards belonging to Abdul
Halim Harahap and his wife.

"We were asked by Mandala to show his (Abdul Halim's) identity
card and driving license. This is weird. Where can we get them?
The other funny thing is, we're been required to show an original
court letter stating that Abdul Halim Harahap and his wife have
died," Abdul Hafiz told The Jakarta Post, adding that the
requirements only complicate matters for families of the crash
victims.

Mandala's acting chairman Maj. Gen. Asril Tanjung said the
registration procedures were not intended to impose hardship upon
families in obtaining the assistance. Instead, it was implemented
to prevent mistakes in its distribution, he added.

He said the company did not want the money to go to persons
who were not entitled to it.

He said that the company, just one and a half months after the
disaster, had managed to raise money for the cash assistance to
crash victim's families as well as assisting with medical
expenses and repairs to houses.

He said the assistance was not only for the families of
victims who died in the disaster but also for those who suffered
injuries.

Ja'far Murman, 69, a family member of one of the victims, said
he was grateful for the assistance even though the amount meant
nothing compared to the loss of his daughter, Aida Marlina, in
the crash.

Previously, families of crash victims had received pay-outs
worth Rp 50 million each from insurance firm PT Asuransi Jasa
Raharja.