Cut Mery, Salman Mardira, Jakarta – The regent of South Aceh, Mirwan MS, traveled to Saudi Arabia for an umrah pilgrimage without receiving the required clearance from Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, even as floods and landslides devastated parts of the province, officials said on Friday.
Aceh government spokesman Muhammad MTA said Mirwan had submitted a request on Nov. 24 seeking permission for an urgent overseas trip. The governor rejected the request, he said, citing widespread flooding, landslides, and an ongoing hydrometeorological disaster emergency declared across Aceh.
"The governor issued a written response on Nov. 28 stating the request could not be approved," MTA said. South Aceh is among the worst-hit districts, and Mirwan himself had declared a local emergency in response to the disaster.
MTA added that the governor had instructed officials to verify Mirwan's reported travel, but attempts to contact South Aceh administrators had so far been unsuccessful. "If it is confirmed that he has left the country, the governor will issue a formal reprimand," he said.
Muzakir Manaf, he added, has been on the ground coordinating disaster response efforts, maintaining communication with provincial command posts and relevant agencies as rescue operations continue.
Photos circulated online this week showing Mirwan and his family in the holy city of Mecca, sparking criticism from social media users who accused the regent of abandoning residents as flooding inundated 11 subdistricts in South Aceh.
South Aceh government spokesman Denny Herry Safputra defended the regent's departure, saying Mirwan and his wife left only after conditions in the district had "largely stabilized," with water levels receding in affected areas of Bakongan Raya and Trumon Raya.
He said claims that the regent fled during the height of the disaster were inaccurate, noting that Mirwan had visited several flood-hit locations before his departure and helped distribute government aid. "He personally checked conditions on the ground and ensured assistance reached the community," Denny said.
The floods and landslides have caused severe destruction across Aceh. Provincial authorities have reported 345 deaths, while 174 people remain missing.