President Prabowo Subianto Calls for Unity and Collective Effort to Ovecome Natural Disasters
Amidst the national development agenda, President Prabowo Subianto remains attentive to the plight of citizens affected by disasters in the island of Sumatra.
The President has recently expressed gratitude for the nation’s development achievements, while also calling on the public to pray for and assist those impacted by disasters in the provinces of Aceh, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, as well as other regions, including East Java, Central Java, and East Nusa Tenggara provinces.
“We are grateful for all the blessings bestowed upon us, while never forgetting our brothers and sisters who are enduring hardship in several regions of Indonesia, including Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. Many of our fellow citizens are also facing difficulties in other areas, although not on the same scale as Sumatra, such as in East Java, Central Java, East Nusa Tenggara, and others,” the President said at the Mass Mortgage Signing Ceremony for 50,030 recipients of the Housing Finance Facility (FLPP) at Pondok Banten Indah Housing Complex, Serang city, Banten province, on Saturday (12/20).
The Head of State called on all parties to offer prayers for those enduring hardships.
“We continuously pray that they receive protection from the Almighty and that their suffering is eased, even as we work tirelessly to overcome the challenges they face,” he added.
The Head of State also stressed that the Indonesian nation must continue to look to the future with resolve, despite the trials and challenges it is currently facing.
According to him, all challenges, including natural disasters, can be overcome through a strong spirit of unity and collective effort.
President Prabowo Subianto also commended the solidarity shown by the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB), the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), regional governments, volunteers, and local communities in responding to the disasters, highlighting in particular the dedication of personnel who work around the clock to reach remote areas.
“A contractor once told me, ‘Sir, this bridge will take me a month to build.’ Yet we completed it in just seven days. Teams worked day and night, including personnel from the national electricity company PLN and oil and gas company Pertamina who delivered assistances to remote villages by helicopter. The helicopter pilots also risked their lives as those areas are difficult and quickly shrouded in fog. Nevertheless, we remain grateful. We will overcome the disaster, and these regions are truly beautiful and full of promise,” the President explained.
In closing his remarks, the President reaffirmed that the state’s presence must be felt by the people in all circumstances, whether by promoting welfare through public housing programs or by providing swift, integrated, and equitable disaster response.
Through this message of empathy and resolve, the President underscored that Indonesia’s development is measured not only by statistics and physical achievements, but also by the state’s capacity to be present, caring, and standing beside its people in their most difficult moments. (BPMI/EST/EP)
