Indonesian House Speaker Urges Govt to Strengthen Maritime Safety System - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - House Speaker Puan Maharani is urging the Indonesian government to improve the maritime safety system following the repeated accidents of passenger ships. Most recently, KM Virgo Transport 8, which was sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, sank in the waters of Masalembo, Java Sea, on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Of the 243 passengers on KM Virgo, 108 were safely evacuated. However, six people died, and 129 others are still missing. "I request a comprehensive improvement in the national maritime safety system, so that similar incidents will not claim lives again," Puan said in a written statement on Monday, September 14, 2026.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle politician also urged the government to investigate the cause of the capsizing and subsequent sinking of the Virgo Ship. The legislative body claimed that it would oversee the investigation through the House of Representatives' (DPR) legislative tools so that the cause of the accident could be revealed.
Puan said that ship accidents resulting in casualties should not be allowed to happen again, so the government must improve the maritime transportation system. "The government should immediately conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of this accident, whether it's from natural, technical, or human factors," Puan stated.
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi affirmed that the government would investigate the Virgo Ship accident through the National Transportation Safety Committee. Dudy asked all parties to allow the NTSC to operate in a professional, independent, and data-driven manner.
"We do not want to preempt the NTSC's investigation. Most importantly, hopefully the cause of this accident can be clearly identified and become evaluation material to enhance maritime safety in the future," he said at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, as of yesterday.
Previously, South Kalimantan Governor Muhidin emphasized the need for a comprehensive evaluation of maritime transportation safety aspects after the search and rescue process for the victims of the sinking of KM Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea.
He said that maritime transportation safety is not only a technical issue, but also a matter of human life and safety. He emphasized that all ships traveling to and from South Kalimantan must comply with safety standards and ensure that their vessels are seaworthy and that all safety procedures are properly implemented.
"Every passenger is not just a number on the manifest. Behind every name, families are waiting. There are parents, children, husbands, wives, siblings, and people who love them," Governor Muhidin said in a written statement on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
