President Prabowo Subianto Chairs Plenary Cabinet Meeting on National Disaster Response

President Prabowo leads Cabinet Meeting at State Palace in Jakarta on Monday (12/15). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/Laily Rachev)

President Prabowo Subianto Monday (12/15) chaired the Plenary Cabinet Meeting at State Palace in Jakarta to discuss a range of national strategic issues, including disaster management efforts in several regions across Indonesia.

In his opening remarks, the President underscored that the Government remains strongly committed to supporting communities affected by floods and landslides, particularly in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

“We pray that our brothers and sisters will recover soon, and we are working hard to restore conditions so that reconstruction and rehabilitation can begin as quickly as possible,” he said.

The President also stressed that disasters must be addressed with utmost vigilance, noting that climate change has become a global challenge affecting all countries.

He added that he has personally visited disaster-affected areas several times and will continue to monitor them.

“I have visited Aceh three times, North Sumatra twice, and West Sumatra once and I plan to revisit soon. At a minimum, I intend to visit these areas once a week to monitor progress,” he said.

The Head of State also expressed appreciation for all parties involved in disaster response efforts, including the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), relevant ministries and institutions, state-owned enterprises, and community volunteers.

The President also reminded all government officials to stay focused on concrete action and to refrain from assigning blame during emergencies.

“This is not the time to look for faults. This is the time to work hard, shoulder to shoulder, to resolve problems,” the President emphasized.

President Prabowo Subianto also noted that the swift response demonstrated by personnel and teams reflects the Government’s unity and solidity in facing disasters.

Disaster response constitutes an operational command that requires initiative and speed, he added.

“A disaster response is an operational order. There is no need to wait for official radiograms or excessive instructions. Initiative is required, and I see that all institutions have delivered this. I thank you all, from every sector,” he said.

The President also underlined the state’s commitment to disaster response efforts. He emphasized the large-scale mobilization of resources, including dozens of helicopters, transport aircraft, and airlifted logistics, as evidence of Indonesia’s capacity as a strong nation.

“This can only be done by a strong country,” he said.

The President concluded by expressing pride in state officials working directly among the people and reaffirmed Indonesia’s ability to handle the disaster using its own strength.

“Honestly, as President of the Republic of Indonesia, I am proud to see our personnel at every level standing side by side with the people,” he remarked.  (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RD/EP)