Dani Aswara, Jakarta – The Presidium of the Indonesian Caucus for Academic Freedom (KIKA), Herdiansyah Hamzah, has stated that a series of government officials' statements regarding the Sumatra disaster shows the absence of a scientific approach to decision-making, particularly in disaster policies.
Herdiansyah assesses that the elites surrounding the seats of power often make statements that lack field data and academic analysis. He cites various erroneous claims by officials regarding infrastructure, energy, and disaster mitigation.
"This is a sign that this is anti-science politics. Political decisions are not based on academic studies, not based on facts, and do not listen to the victims' perspectives," said Herdiansyah, in KIKA's online press conference on Monday, December 8, 2025.
He refers to the statement by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, claiming that 93 percent of Aceh has been electrified; President Prabowo Subianto's statement equating palm oil as a tree to justify certain policies; and the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB)'s comment stating that the fuss about the disaster only occurs on social media.
According to him, the failure is evident from the lack of communication from the government with affected residents in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra regions that are currently facing extensive damage, thousands of refugees, and casualties.
"They never talk to the people in Aceh, never talk to the people in West Sumatra and North Sumatra," said Herdiansyah.
Herdiansyah notes that the disaster management allocation at BNPB is far behind that for several national strategic projects. He mentions the free nutritious meal program (MBG) project and the Red and White Cooperative, which he says absorb a large budget.
"If the disaster management funding only has around Rp491 billion left, while MBG consumes Rp1.2 trillion per day, that's far off," he said.
KIKA assesses that the inadequate budget priorities show a government that fails to read the scale of the disaster emergency. Herdiansyah warns that the government's sluggish response could worsen the condition of residents in the three affected provinces.
"If Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra are not prioritized, then this regime is letting residents die not because of the flood, but because of starvation," he said.
He urges the government to immediately prioritize the affected regions in disaster policies, rather than continuing with unrelated major projects. "The priority now is how disaster politics can concentrate on the rescue of residents in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra," said Herdiansyah.