North Maluku Governor Sherly Tjoanda mobbed by residents in Lombok

North Maluku Governor (Malut), Sherly Tjoanda, was swarmed by residents during a visit to Desa Dasan Geria, Lingsar Sub-district, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). Not only women, but men and even youths crowded to ask for photos with Sherly. The residents even jostled for their turn to have a photo. Sherly was seen politely attending to requests, occasionally taking residents’ phones to lead a group selfie amid the crowd. “The people are very friendly; I’m happy to be here,” Sherly said when met in Desa Dasan Geria on Tuesday (19 May 2026). Her arrival in Lombok Barat was related to the 2026 Appreciation for High-Performing Regional Governments for the NTB, NTT, Maluku and Maluku Utara regions. The event was attended by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian and Housing and Public Works Minister Maruarar Sirait. Besides Sherly, Maluku Governor Hendrik Lewerissa, NTT Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, and NTB Governor Lalu Muhammad Iqbal were also present. Sherly said this was her first visit to NTB and she enjoyed Lombok, expressing a desire to return. “This is my first time coming to NTB. And I will come back again,” she added. In addition to admiring the people, Sherly said she was impressed by Lombok’s natural beauty and even planned a holiday to snorkel in the Gili area, Lombok. “Not this time, but I’ll come back to dive at Gili,” Sherly said. (iws/iws)