Jerome Polin's Threads Post
YouTuber and education content creator Jerome Polin Sijabat vented his anger at the response of several Kalimantan officials to forest and land fires (karhutla). Through his personal Threads account @jeromepolin, Jerome said the officials' statements showed neither empathy nor the competence expected of leaders.
"Kalimantan officials who say Kalimantan is still fine, not yet worthy of being a national disaster, and so on," Jerome wrote to open his post on Wednesday (10/14/2026). He added that officials could speak that way because they do not live at the disaster site and do not directly feel the suffering of residents breathing polluted air every day.
According to Jerome, karhutla handling that drags on while residents fall ill and their activities are disrupted is a form of incompetence — holding an office without the capacity to carry it out properly.
Audi Marissa to Nana Mirdad Join the Outcry
Jerome's post drew responses from netizens and fellow public figures. Actress Audi Marissa said she felt heartbroken every time officials claimed conditions in Kalimantan were still safe, when the reality on the ground was far worse and victims had already mounted. Other netizens complained about the sluggish handling of karhutla, which has dragged on for around four months without resolution.
Similar criticism came from actress Nana Mirdad, furious at statements by five Kalimantan governors on karhutla, and Daniel Mananta, who urged the government to act more firmly on disasters in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Three Governors Under Scrutiny
Several statements by Kalimantan officials had already drawn public scrutiny. Central Kalimantan Governor Agustiar Sabran joked when asked about karhutla handling, saying "united we stand, divorced we marry again" — a play on Indonesia's national motto. East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas'ud described forest fires in Kalimantan as under control — a phrase that stung while residents still choked on smoke.
South Kalimantan Governor Muhidin said karhutla conditions at the site he visited turned out not to be severe, before eventually apologizing to the public for his remarks.
Karhutla Still Unresolved
Forest and land fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra continue to rage, blanketing the region in thick haze that endangers residents' health and disrupts flights. The government is even testing dry-ice technology to disperse the smoke over Palembang and Ogan Komering Ilir in South Sumatra.
Against that backdrop, officials' remarks downplaying the disaster keep drawing public condemnation. For Jerome Polin and fellow celebrities, the officials' "everything is fine" narrative only shows how wide the gap is between those in power and the suffering of their people.
