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Disaster information’s main man finally meets his idol
It was the very first time he had shaken hands and met personally with the President, a figure whom Sutopo said he had admired for years, ever since Jokowi was still the mayor of Surakarta in Central Java.
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National Disaster and Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of meets President Joko (Kompas.com/Ihsanuddin)
“How are you, Pak Sutopo?”
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo asked as he extended his hand to greet the nation’s “first man to call” when disaster strikes in the nation: Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
“Alhamdulillah [thank God] I am well, Pak,” Sutopo replied, smiling widely, “Thank you for meeting me, I have wanted to meet you for a long time.”
While one may assume that shaking hands with the President is a usual thing for state officials, Friday’s meeting with Jokowi was very special for Sutopo, the spokesperson of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
It was the very first time he had shaken hands and met personally with the President, a figure whom Sutopo said he had admired for years, ever since Jokowi was still the mayor of Surakarta in Central Java.
Wearing a maroon-colored batik shirt, Sutopo arrived at Bogor Palace, West Java, on Friday afternoon following a personal invitation from the President, The BNPB official described the meeting as “an amazing gift”.
“This is the loveliest gift for my upcoming birthday on [Oct.] 7,” Sutopo said, adding that he had also taken selfies and videos with Jokowi that he would post later to his social media accounts.
Alhamdulillah, saya bisa langsung bertemu dan berjabat tangan dengan Presiden Jokowi. Sungguh, ini nikmat yang luar biasa. Presiden mendoakan saya segera sembuh dan dapat melayani masyarakat dengan lebih baik. Terima kasih Bapak Pak Jokowi. #semangatPakTopo #JokowiMeetSutopo pic.twitter.com/aIJdr9xVEn
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) October 5, 2018
For Sutopo, the man who is always just a phone call away when journalists need information when a natural disaster strikes, greeting the President in person had been a difficult feat, as his previous attempts to shake hands with Jokowi during the latter’s past visits to disaster-stricken regions had always ended in failure.
For instance, Sutopo said, when Jokowi oversaw the handling of the disaster response to a 6.5-magnitude earthquake that rattled Pidie Jaya regency in Aceh, in December 2016, he had managed to stand near the President and was prepared to shake hands.
“Jokowi and I were very close and I [extended my hand], but members of the presidential security detail shielded him,” Sutopo recalled laughing while talking to reporters.
At a recent press briefing with reporters on the disaster response in Central Sulawesi, which suffered large-scale destruction after being hit by an earthquake and tsunami last week, Sutopo added that he had repeatedly tagged Jokowi’s Twitter handle, @jokowi, when disseminating disaster-related information.
He said that Jokowi had never retweeted one of his posts, although he hoped that the President would do so to ensure the information on natural disasters and emergency responses reached more people.
Sutopo, who has worked at the BNPB for eight years, has been battling stage-four lung cancer for months, but has worked persistently to provide information to the public via his Twitter account as well as responding to journalists’ queries about the earthquake and tsunami. Sutopo continues to receive hospital treatment.
He has also expressed his wish to meet pop singer Raisa and has tagged the singer’s Twitter handle several times in the past to get her attention. Netizens subsequently responded to Sutopo’s tweets by tweeting at Raisa, encouraging the singer to meet Sutopo with the hashtag #RaisaMeetSutopo.
Sutopo finally had the chance to enjoy a video call with Raisa on the sidelines of a press briefing on Wednesday. He was also reportedly scheduled to meet his idol this Sunday, thanks to the support of senior music journalist Adib Hidayat, who partook in the #RaisaMeetSutopo merriment and connected Raisa’s manager with Sutopo.
Read also: When disaster strikes, keep calm and listen to ‘Pak’ Sutopo
During the meeting with Jokowi, Sutopo said the President was surprised to learn that he was struggling with advanced stage lung cancer and asked how Sutopo had the strength and spirit to continue to fulfill his duty to keep the public informed.
“I said [to Jokowi], I fight against the pain inside my body because I have to continue providing information about disasters to the media and the public,” Sutopo said. “I must be fast and always keep informing.”
Jokowi expressed his deep appreciation for Sutopo’s dedication, adding that during the meeting Sutopo also shared his insights about the country’s disaster management.
“I think [Sutopo] has inspired all of us,” Jokowi said, “Despite his illness, he is still dedicated and passionate about the job he has performed for many years.”
