Jambi (ANTARA) - Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini expressed optimism over the completion of data collection of Indigenous people of the Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) tribe in Batanghari District, Jambi, before her tenure ended in October.
"Self-recording for family cards and identity cards is quite fast. It can be completed next month," Rismaharini stated when she was met in Jambi on Wednesday.
According to the minister, more than 54 heads of families or 140 people of the SAD community live in Batanghari District spread across forest areas in the villages of Hajran, Jeluti, and Ulak Besar in the administrative area of Bathin Sub-district.
Rismaharini mentioned that starting today, the local government had begun collecting data on the male heads of families and young men from the SAD tribe.
This data collection excluded mothers and young women of the tribe, as they were not allowed to be recorded or photographed, so only men were documented.
She noted that personal identity data for the SAD tribe was being recorded at the Bathin Sub-district office.
Her ministry provided a minibus to pick up the SAD people who were conducting the Melangun ritual in the forest. Melangun is a cultural practice of the Anak Dalam tribe used to cope with the loss of a family member by finding solace in the forest.
At present, the wife of their tribal leader had passed away. Therefore, Rismaharini urged the local government to act quickly to meet with them before they moved deeper into the forest, making them harder to locate.
The minister ensured that after the completion of data recording, the SAD tribe would have a family card (KK) and ID cards, which would be automatically registered into the ministry's Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS).
Rismaharini highlighted that with the data integration, they will be able to receive routine assistance on a monthly basis in the form of basic necessities or cash.
"It will be finished before my term ends so the new minister can continue the good work," she remarked.
