West Sumatra Legislator Highlights Student's Homemade Bomb Incident in Padang

A member of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Alex Indra Lukman, has commented on the case of a student, identified only as R (17), who brought a homemade bomb and detonated it at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 3 Padang, West Sumatra. Alex highlighted the role of schools and parents in fostering a harmonious environment during the learning process. “The school’s responsibility is not only about the curriculum, but also about interactions within the school environment, both among students and with teachers,” Alex said in a written statement on Wednesday (15/7/2026). In addition to reminding education stakeholders, the Deputy Chairman of Commission IV of the DPR urged parents to play a more active role in educating their children. Alex hopes they do not neglect their responsibilities and place the entire burden on the school. “For example, instilling humanitarian values. This will be more deeply ingrained in a child’s soul if done by parents at home,” explained the Chairman of the West Sumatra PDIP. “In this way, children will grow up with a more tolerant spirit and will not like to tease their friends through bullying,” added the legislator from the West Sumatra I electoral district. Alex also expressed hope that investigators from the Padang City Police handling the explosion case would not ignore the child’s rights as stipulated in the Child Protection Law, namely Law No. 23 of 2002, which was amended by Law No. 35 of 2014 and Law No. 17 of 2016. The incident involved a 17-year-old student who detonated a homemade bomb at MAN 3 Padang, West Sumatra. Police stated that R was a victim of bullying by his peers. The explosion occurred on Tuesday (14/7) at MAN 3, located in Balai Gadang Village, Koto Tengah District, Padang City. The National Police’s Densus 88 Anti-terror spokesperson, Commissioner Mayndra Eka, explained that the object suspected to be a homemade bomb was first discovered by a school security officer. There were no fatalities in the incident. Police confirmed that R had frequently been a victim of bullying by his friends. “Yes, he was a victim of bullying because of psychological pressure; he was often the target of ridicule from his friends, so he did this,” said the Head of Public Relations of the West Sumatra Regional Police, Commissioner Susmelawati Rosya, when contacted by reporters.