MORE than one month after the devastating floods and landslides triggered by tropical Cyclone Senyar last November, hundreds of thousands of people are still displaced in Indonesia’s westernmost province, Aceh.
In North Sumatra, a total of 11,384 people were displaced, and in West Sumatra, there are 9,935 IDPs. The death toll has reached 1,140, and 163 people are missing across the three provinces.
We’ve heard heart-wrenching stories and seen images of devastation from floods running through villages, bringing along logging debris. It is not easy to ignore the sufferings of villagers walking through the rain for hours, soaked in mud, looking for aid or those whose houses they lived in for decades disappeared right before their eyes. Local authorities said more than 20 villages across the three provinces “disappeared”, swept away by the floods.
We share their feeling of helplessness that more should be done to provide for them. We do not know them but just talk to Indonesians working in Malaysia and you will come across many whose families are affected.
One Indonesian who works at a popular nasi kandar restaurant that I frequent in Penang is going home soon.
“Banjir lalu rumah saya di Aceh. Saya mau pulang April ini (floods passed through my home in Aceh. I want to return this April),” Willy said, adding he has yet to assess the extent of damage of his flooded house.
The owner of a restaurant in Puchong, Selangor, told me she had to let go of her workers so they could return to Aceh as their families had been affected by the devastating disaster.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has refused foreign aid, insisting the situation is under control and has ignored calls to declare it a national disaster. Critics were quick to describe it as arrogance on Jakarta’s part.
This reminds us of how Malaysians, from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur, suffered in the 1990s from episodes of haze coming from Indonesia as a result of uncontrolled forest fires. Despite an apology from then president Suharto, many felt those living in Jakarta were too remote from the hotspots to really understand the anxiety and anger felt.
In 1997, at a Dataran Merdeka event, then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had to wear a mask and told reporters that Malaysia was at its wit’s end on how to tackle the problem. With Air Pollution Index numbers reaching 400, Malaysia had even offered to send firemen and water pumps to Indonesia to help fight the blazes.
Malaysians are generally known for their generosity. Remember the tragic death of Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old Indonesian e-hailing motorbike rider last September? He was run over by a police vehicle during protests in Jakarta against excessive pay and housing allowances for Indonesian parliamentarians.
Amid the chaos, some Malay-sians began encouraging fellow citizens to use their food delivery app to order food to be delivered to those affected by the protests in Indonesia. It was this kind of deed that showed many Indonesians that Malaysians are there for them in times of need.
So when Cyclone Senyar hit Indonesians, Malaysian NGOs started sending humanitarian aid, while remaining mindful of the dos and don’ts and sensitivities of the ruling government and local people. These NGOs uploaded videos of their interactions with locals as they brought with them clean water and food donated by Malaysians. They were welcomed by the Indonesians with open arms.
It was the same on the media front. The Malaysian media has reported rather extensively on the aftermath of the deadly floods with one television station reporting from Aceh for several days, giving an insight into the dire situation on the ground.
The media has been responsible enough not to sensationalise situations to prevent misinterpretations or negative perceptions.
“Let the media provide their views. I don’t think our press is a menace when it reports on a crisis, especially in this instance on humanitarian situations.
“Certain human suffering deserves to be brought to the forefront,” said a Malaysian government official.
Amid all this, an Indonesian minister incurred the wrath of Malaysians and fellow Indone-sians when he belittled aid from Malaysia
“I heard that businessmen in Malaysia wanted to provide medicines for residents affected by the floods in Aceh. After reviewing, the total value of the medicines sent was slightly less than Rp1 bil [RM243,000],” Home Minister Tito Karnavian said.
“The state’s budget for flood mitigation in Sumatra is far larger than that, so Rp1 bil is not significant for us. We don’t want the perception to arise that we are reliant on foreign aid, when in reality the amount is small compared with Indonesia’s capacity,” he added.
The backlash was swift across the border and from Indonesians. Tito apologised a few days later, reports The Jakarta Post.
Malaysia’s official reaction has been rather muted on the Indo-nesian floods and landslides disaster because any comments would be regarded as questioning the sovereign ability and responsibility of the host country to provide for its people.
It is the same with providing humanitarian aid, unless there is such a request and the host country grants permission. We should respect that.
The Prime Minister’s Office said on Dec 11 that Malaysia expresses its sympathy and sorrow to the Indonesian government and all its people over the disaster. It added that Malaysia stands in solidarity with its “brothers and sisters” who are going through this difficult time.
As many of us usher in 2026 with gusto, spare a thought for the suffering victims. Many Malaysian NGOs are still on the ground taking humanitarian aid to affected Indonesians.
For many, it will be a long time before they can begin healing and picking up the pieces to rebuild their lives.
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