Indonesian lawmakers demand maritime safety overhaul after KMP Mutiara Sentosa II fire

Following the fire incident involving the passenger ship KMP Mutiara Sentosa II in the waters of Sumenep, East Java, Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) has called for a comprehensive evaluation of maritime safety.

During a working meeting with the Minister of Transportation, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Gerindra Party legislator Danang Wicaksana Sulistya urged the Ministry of Transportation to increase oversight of sea transportation. He emphasized that the safety of passengers and crew must be the top priority.

The requested evaluation covers ship seaworthiness, regulatory oversight, the implementation of safety procedures, crew readiness, and weather factors. Wicaksana stressed that shipping operators must strictly adhere to procedures to ensure vessel eligibility and argued that preventive measures should be strengthened to minimize future accidents rather than reacting only after disasters occur.