Human Rights Minister Visits Students Poisoned by Free Meal Program in Surabaya

The Indonesian Ministry of Human Rights, through Minister Natalius Pigai, has taken swift action to address a concerning incident of food poisoning affecting students in Surabaya. Pigai's visit to the affected children at the hospital underscores the government's commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens, especially the younger generation.

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The President [Prabowo Subianto] giving MBG has a good intention, indeed the one who made the mistake is the one who cooked.

While the President's Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program aims to provide essential nutrition for the nation's future, this incident highlights critical lapses in operational management. Minister Pigai's direct observation revealed that the issue stemmed not from the program's objectives but from the execution by the food suppliers, specifically the Tembok Dukuh Meal Supply and Nutrition Fulfillment Unit (SPPG). The minister's firm stance on sanctioning the responsible parties, including potential closure and operational suspension, sends a clear message about accountability.

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The SPPG will certainly be sanctioned, it is not certain that they will be the ones cooking again.

What is particularly alarming is the revelation that a single SPPG was tasked with serving 13 schools, a ratio deemed unprofessional and beyond capacity by Minister Pigai. This excessive workload likely led to a lapse in quality control, meticulousness, and discipline in food preparation. The minister's call for replacing the current SPPG with a more professional and disciplined entity is a necessary step to restore confidence in the program and prevent future occurrences.

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The good intention turned out to have one or two SPPG kitchens whose management was less professional. I found it in Surabaya. The mistake was definitely the SPPG kitchen that was wrong. Why? Because one SPPG handles 13 schools. Starting from kindergarten, elementary, junior high. I think one kitchen managing 13 schools is too many.

From an Indonesian perspective, this incident is a stark reminder of the challenges in implementing large-scale welfare programs across a vast and diverse archipelago. While the intention behind the MBG program is commendable, its success hinges on efficient and professional execution at the local level. The government's response, as demonstrated by Minister Pigai's visit and decisive actions, reflects a commitment to addressing such failures promptly and ensuring that public service programs truly benefit the people they are intended to serve.

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So, in its management, it was amateurish, unprofessional, not meticulous, not careful, not agile, and not disciplined. There are several kitchens whose management is chaotic. We have to admit it. There are several kitchens whose management is less careful, less meticulous, less tidy, less disciplined.