West Sumatra governor on trip to Germany amid disaster emergency

While thousands of residents in Mentawai Islands still need aid, West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno made a trip to Germany.

Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Speaker Irman Gusman spoke against the governor's decision.

“The local people are facing disaster, this needs the governor's presence,” Gusman said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.

Gusman said that Irwan, a former Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) legislator, had reached Dubai on Wednesday.

“If I had known he had planned the trip, I would have stopped him,” Gusman said.

Eight days after the tsunami struck Sipora, Pagai Utara and Pagai Selatan Islands, aid had not yet reached many isolated areas.

The local disaster management agency blamed bad weather on the slow aid transportation.