Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia on Kanjuruhan Stadium Tragedy at dr. Saiful Anwar Regional Hospital, Malang City, East Java Province, 5 October 2022
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
I just visited victims of the tragedy at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang.
I wanted to make sure that those who are treated at the hospital get the best treatment. I also talked with four victims of the Kanjuruhan Stadium to find out the real situation on the night of the incident on October 1st.
I really wanted to know the root cause of this tragedy so that in the future we can come up with the best solution. The Government has established an independent fact-finding team led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs.
I said to the victims to keep their spirits up and wished they recover soon so they can return to their activities. I also told them that all costs for treatment are covered by the Central Government and regional governments.
I also handed compensation to the victims killed at the tragedy. The Central Government, the provincial government, the Malang City Government and provincial bank Bank Jatim also provided compensation to ease the burden on the families and relatives of the victims.
I think that’s what I want to say.
Reporter
…(inaudible)
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Why did the Government establish an independent fact-finding team?
Because we want to investigate the incident thoroughly. Nothing is covered up. We will impose sanctions and punish the guilty.
But most importantly, I’m going to visit the stadium later. I will order Minister of Public Works and Public Housing to audit all stadiums used for the league, both League 1, League 2, and League 3. All of them.
Is the gate in accordance with international standard and wide enough? Is the gate size already meet the standard? Who is the field management in charge of? We will audit everything. From this incident, we have to fix everything. Match management, field management, stadium management, we have to carry out a total audit. I don’t want similar incident to happen again in our country.
Monday night, I also called FIFA President Gianni Infantino. He said that, if necessary, FIFA could help improve the governance of Indonesian football. He expressed his readiness.
Reporter
…(inaudible)
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs has promised me to settle this issue within a month, but I ordered him to finish it sooner, as soon as possible.
Reporter
….(inaudible)
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
The independent fact-finding team will find out, not me.
(EST/EP)