Home Affairs Minister Sanctions South Aceh Regent

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian has requested that the Regent of South Aceh, Mirwan, return to the homeland immediately after traveling abroad without permission. Furthermore, a team from the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Home Affairs has been dispatched to Aceh to investigate Mirwan. Sanctions are likely to be imposed on Mirwan. Previously, Mirwan had already faced sanctions from his party, Gerindra, which included his dismissal from the position of Chairman of the Gerindra South Aceh Branch.

Amid the floods and landslides that have struck several areas in South Aceh, Regent Mirwan and his family departed for Umrah on December 2, 2025. Previously, his statement had gone viral as he expressed his inability to address the impacts of the floods and landslides in his region.

On November 24, 2025, Mirwan had actually submitted a request for overseas travel permission to Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf. However, the Aceh Governor rejected the application on the grounds that Aceh was experiencing a natural disaster.

The Head of the Information Center (Ministry of Home Affairs) Benni Irwan, when contacted in Jakarta on Saturday (6/12/2025), stated that Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian has directly contacted Regent Mirwan to return to the homeland as soon as possible. As a result of this communication, Mirwan is scheduled to return on Sunday (7/12/2025).

"The individual concerned (Regent Mirwan) has been directly called by the Minister of Home Affairs to return immediately. He (Regent Mirwan) admitted that he did not obtain permission from the governor and the Minister of Home Affairs for the umrah," he stated.

The individual concerned (Regent Mirwan) has been directly called by the Minister of Home Affairs to return immediately. He (Regent Mirwan) acknowledged that he did not obtain permission from the governor and the Minister of Home Affairs for the umrah pilgrimage.

Not only that, Benni revealed that today, a team from the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Home Affairs has departed for Aceh to examine Mirwan upon arriving in Banda Aceh. The examination is being conducted because Mirwan is considered to have violated Article 76 paragraph 1 letter i of the Regional Government Law.

The article prohibits regional heads from traveling abroad without the minister's permission. Furthermore, Article 77 states that violations of this provision may be subject to a temporary suspension sanction for a period of three months.

"So, a team from the inspectorate has left for Aceh and will question Regent Mirwan upon his arrival in Indonesia," said Benni.

Benni stated that, in fact, the appeal or warning to regional heads not to travel abroad, especially when their regions are facing disasters, has often been conveyed by the Minister of Home Affairs. The role of regional heads is crucial to ensure that the post-disaster management process runs smoothly.

"The essence is that all regional heads have been frequently reminded and there has already been a circular letter. Ultimately, it indeed returns to the regional heads," said Benni.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Regional Administration at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Safrizal ZA, stated that he had called Mirwan and asked him to return to the homeland immediately. To Safrizal, Mirwan admitted that he decided to go for Umrah because the impact of the disaster in his area was not too severe. "He then handled it for five days before departing (for Umrah)," he said.

However, Mirwan's acknowledgment differs from the facts on the ground obtained by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Safrizal, who has been in Aceh since the beginning of the disaster, assesses that South Aceh is among the areas significantly affected, although not as severely as North Aceh, East Aceh, and Aceh Tamiang.

The departure of Mirwan, according to Safrizal, was carried out without following the correct procedures. The regent should have first reported and obtained permission from the governor. After that, the governor would submit a letter of request for permission for overseas travel to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs, if not accompanied by a letter from the governor, would not know. Suddenly, they only found out when they were already at the location (Aceh). However, it should not be like that. The procedure requires permission. It is not permissible to go without permission even in non-disaster situations, let alone in the event of a disaster," he emphasized.

Safrizal confirmed that Mirwan will face sanctions. The possible sanction to be imposed is still in the form of a written reprimand from the Governor of Aceh. Subsequently, the governor will report the imposition of the sanction to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action.

The sanctions in the Regional Government Law indeed state a temporary suspension for three months; however, according to Safrizal, the imposition of sanctions on Mirwan needs to take into account the situation in the region that is currently facing a disaster. "In normal circumstances, a suspension can last up to three months, but this is in a disaster situation where the presence of the regional head is needed. Therefore, the sanctions are currently being considered," he stated.

Safrizal also reminded other regional heads to use this case as a lesson. The presence of regional heads is crucial during disasters, both to provide direct assistance to the community and to facilitate the coordination of aid.

He hopes that the local government remains enthusiastic in providing assistance to the community, especially in meeting basic needs during the emergency response period, ranging from rescue, evacuation, food, clean water, to shelter, while preparing to enter the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.

"This is collaborative work. Don't feel alone because the provincial and central governments support all disaster management processes. We ask the regents and mayors to work hard and provide data that needs to be handled. If they can't handle it, they can submit it to the central government. The central government has prepared posts in disaster-affected locations," he said.

Not only does Mirwan serve as the Regent of South Aceh, but he also holds the position of Chairman of the South Aceh Branch Leadership Council (DPC) of Gerindra. The Central Leadership Council of Gerindra expressed regret upon learning that Mirwan was abroad while his region was affected by a disaster.

"The attitude and leadership of the person concerned are very regrettable," said Gerindra Secretary General Sugiono to reporters in Jakarta, Friday (6/12/2025).

Not only that, the Central Leadership Council (DPP) of the Gerindra Party has imposed a sanction of dismissal on Mirwan from his position as Chairman of the Gerindra Aceh Selatan Branch. "The DPP Gerindra has decided to dismiss him as Chairman of the Gerindra Aceh Selatan Branch," he emphasized.

The Professor of the Institute of Home Affairs, Djohermansyah Djohan, assessed that Mirwan's decision to perform Umrah amidst the difficulties faced by his constituents due to flooding and landslides not only violates regulations but is also ethically inappropriate. The Umrah should have been postponed, similar to the action taken by the Governor of West Sumatra, Mahyeldi Ansyarullah, who canceled his child's wedding celebration on December 6-7, 2025. This decision was made as a form of empathy and solidarity in response to the flash floods and landslides that struck West Sumatra.

He hopes that the Mirwan case serves as a lesson for other regional heads. Regional leaders should not only focus on implementing regulations but also adhere to ethical standards of propriety as leaders.