Previously, Wiranto was under fire for saying that the huge number of those who evacuated as a result of Maluku earthquakes burdened both the central and regional administrations. He made the comment during a press conference in Central Jakarta on Sept. 30.

"I have no reason to intentionally hurt the Maluku people's hearts at a time like this. I have invited several ministers, as well as the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency [BNPB], to discuss the best steps to help the earthquake victims in Maluku," Wiranto said in a written statement received by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Wiranto explained that the central government would provide support for the earthquake victims as soon as possible.

According to the BNPB, the huge number of evacuees also included those who fled their homes out of fear there would be another earthquake.

"These people were panicking because they didn't receive proper information from verified sources," Wiranto said.

To overcome the situation, the meeting concluded that more effort in communicating to the public was needed so that information could reach more people, he added, urging people to return to their homes if they were not affected by the earthquakes.

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