Social Affairs Minister Emphasises Data Accuracy in Response to Student's Death in Samarinda

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf has emphasised the importance of refining poverty data and collaborating with local governments to prevent the recurrence of humanitarian tragedies, following the case of a vocational school student’s death in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. “The key is data, and we need cooperation with local governments. It is impossible for Jakarta to reach all areas in Indonesia without that cooperation. We must ensure that children from families needing support can be reached,” he stated during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday. Based on information received by ANTARA’s East Kalimantan Bureau, the tragedy befell Mandala Rizky Syahputra (16), a second-year student at SMKN 4 Samarinda, who is believed to have died from a serious infection triggered by school shoes that no longer fitted his feet. Economic limitations forced Mandala to continue wearing size 40 shoes despite his feet being size 44, leading to severe wounds during an internship programme, while the victim’s family was reportedly not registered as recipients of government social assistance. This approach is supported by deploying officers from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and PKH supervisors from the Ministry of Social Affairs in the regions to conduct field checks. “If, for example, we had known beforehand through the available data, we could have intervened. So we can prevent things that are part of our duty to provide assistance,” he added. In addition, Saifullah highlighted the importance of Social Welfare Centres (Puskesos) at the village level as the frontline in accommodating aspirations and complaints from underprivileged residents, including urgent cases such as withheld diplomas or basic school supplies. According to him, the Ministry of Social Affairs is fully committed to continuing coordination with local governments so that data exclusion cases (eksklusi) like that experienced by Mandala’s family in Samarinda do not recur, ensuring that social protection reaches all underprivileged citizens comprehensively.