Student Dies from Ill-Fitting Shoes, Social Minister: Sharpen Data on Poor Citizens!

Social Minister (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf, or Gus Ipul, has highlighted the need to sharpen data on social aid recipients in the regions following the death of an SMK student in Samarinda due to ill-fitting shoes.

“That is why from the beginning President asked us to sharpen the data so that children from families that truly need government support can be reached. The key word here is data; cooperation with local governments is needed,” Saifullah said at the Ministry of Social Affairs office in Salemba, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (5/5/2026).

According to Gus Ipul, the central government cannot reach all areas in Indonesia without assistance from local governments.

“It is impossible for Jakarta to reach all areas in Indonesia. Therefore, we collaborate with local governments using technology,” he stated.

“Data from villages reaches Jakarta. We are connected through technology, and regions also deploy human resources to conduct ground checks. To really see the situation in the field,” he added.

Gus Ipul acknowledged that social assistance (bansos) that is not evenly distributed and not on target is a problem that still needs to be addressed.

“We have a programme with the regions to establish Puskesos at the village level, the Social Welfare Centre, which is expected to serve as a place to accommodate all complaints, all aspirations, and perhaps the needs of families in that village,” he explained.

“If we can accommodate it, reach it, and obtain the data, we can certainly provide assistance,” Gus Ipul concluded.

Rizky Syahputra (16 years old), a second-year SMK student in Samarinda, passed away on Friday (24/4/2026).

He breathed his last due to health complications that began with ill-fitting school shoes.

Rizky’s condition worsened while he was undergoing an internship programme at one of the shopping centres in Samarinda.

The infection in his foot spread, causing a drastic drop in his appetite, making his body thin.

Rizky then passed away while sleeping.