Yesterday, Rp1 trillion funds for Sumatra-JKN; JKN membership proposed as a condition for new student registrations

Five government updates were reported. The Ministry of Social Affairs confirmed readiness of a further disaster-relief tranche totaling more than Rp1 trillion to accelerate post-disaster recovery in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra. Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf in Jakarta on Wednesday said disaster-response disbursements would continue, with targets starting next week, via the Sumatra Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (Satgas Percepatan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi Pascabencana Sumatera).

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, through the Saudi Arabian Hajj Pilgrim Organisers (PPIH), intensified efforts to locate an Indonesian pilgrim reported missing in Mecca, conducting sweeps across locations from hotel areas to hospitals. Ichsan Marsha, Head of the Hajj Media Center (MCH) for PPIH Saudi Arabia, said Kemenhaj is handling the search seriously, proactively and in a structured manner since the initial report.

BPJS Kesehatan is exploring a collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) to make JKN participation a requirement for new students enrolling in universities. ‘We are writing to Kemendikbudristek to sign a memorandum of understanding and to seek approval so that new university entrants must have active BPJS Kesehatan membership,’ said BPJS Kesehatan President Director Prihati Pujowaskito at Padjadjaran University, Bandung, on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Culture is verifying three Sasak cultural traditions proposed by the Lombok Timur government in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) to be designated as intangible cultural heritage (WBTB) in 2026. Lombok Timur’s Education and Culture Office head M Nurul Wathoni in Lombok Timur on Wednesday said the local government is committed to safeguarding Sasak heritage so it receives formal national recognition.

The West Java Education Department has set strict requirements for applicants to Sekolah Maung Jabar 2026, including possession of achievement certificates and the need to attach results from the Academic Aptitude Test (TKA). This aligns with the removal of the zonation channel for the flagship school, where the raw admission quota is allocated across three competency streams: 10 percent for potential academic, 70 percent for academic achievement, and 20 percent for non-academic abilities.