December 7, 2025 | 02:44 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto told the farmers of Aceh that the floods and landslides that hit Sumatra were not due to negligence, but rather a force meajure. Prabowo made the statement during his inspection of the government's newly built Bailey bridge in Teupin Mane, Bireuen Regency, Aceh, on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
Therefore, in front of the residents, Prabowo promised to repair the damaged dams and rice fields. He said that the damaged rice fields will be rehabilitated so that farmers do not need to worry.
"If the fields are damaged, we will help repair them as well. While it is not fully restored, we will send food supplies, and we have enough reserves. Then the forests were destroyed. Because this is a natural state, we will remove it, so farmers don't need to worry because this is not negligence, but a force majeure," said Prabowo, quoted from the President's Secretariat's YouTube, on Sunday.
Prabowo also ordered all agencies to cooperate with local governments. He appointed the Chief of Staff of the Army (Kasad TNI AD), TNI General Maruli Simanjuntak, as the head of the task force to accelerate bridge repairs because he has engineering troops.
"So they can help immediately, yes, Kasad, Panglima (commander), Kapolri (police chief), mobilize all the forces," said Prabowo to the accompanying agency heads.
Prabowo said that what happened in Sumatra is a challenge for the one-year leadership of the central and regional governments. He said that he and regional leaders were elected to overcome difficulties.
The central government accelerated the repair of the severed access between Aceh Province and North Sumatra Province by building two Bailey bridges after the Sumatra floods.
Previously, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said that the two Bailey bridges were installed in the Teupin Mane river area, Bireuen, Aceh, which is one of the critical points on the Medan-Banda Aceh land route. The installation was carried out by the TNI AD, the Ministry of Public Works (PU), and the local community.
"The installation of 2 Bailey bridges by TNI AD, the Ministry of PU, and the local community, in the Teupin Mane river, Bireuen Aceh," said Teddy in his written statement on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
Teddy explained that the route is vital for connecting Medan with Banda Aceh and several other districts and cities in Aceh. The installed Bailey bridges weigh about 50 tons. Not only do they function as temporary bridges, but they can also be used as permanent bridges in emergencies.
Teddy also mentioned that the installation was accelerated from the first day the TNI AD and the Ministry of PU went to the location. "The TNI AD and the Ministry of PU worked as quickly as possible from the start to restore the main access road in the affected area," said Teddy. "The installation was done hand in hand with the local community, 24 hours non-stop every day to meet the completion deadline."
The Teupin Mane River overflowed, causing infrastructure damage and reaching a width of 180 meters — far exceeding its normal width of around 100 meters. According to Teddy, with the installation of the two Bailey bridges, the government hopes to reconnect the logistics access soon.
"It is hoped that these Bailey bridges can be put into use within the next 2-3 days so that the land logistics route can be reconnected as soon as possible," said Teddy.
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