Inp.polri.go.id - Banda Aceh. President Prabowo Subianto sharply reprimanded South Aceh Regent Mirwan M.S. for leaving his post to perform minor hajj pilgrimage, or umrah, while his district faced severe floods and landslides.

“In military terms, abandoning your post during danger is desertion,” said President Prabowo, addressing officials at the Integrated Disaster Management Post at Sultan Iskandar Muda Air Base, Aceh, on Sunday (7/12/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

The president instructed Home Minister Tito Karnavian to take firm action against Mirwan, emphasizing accountability during emergencies. Mirwan reportedly claimed he could not manage the disaster due to the scale of floods affecting Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, yet departed for umrah on 2 December 2025.

Following the incident, Gerindra Party’s central board dismissed Mirwan as Chairman of the party’s South Aceh branch, citing poor leadership during a state of emergency. The governor of Aceh confirmed no permission had been granted for Mirwan’s departure. 

(mg/inp/pr/rs)