East Java Regional Police chief, Inspector General Nico Afinta (left), and head of public relations of the National Police, Inspector General Dedi Prasetyo (second left), met Alfiansyah, a child orphaned in the Kanjuruhan tragedy, in Malang city, East Java, on Tuesday (October 4, 2022). (ANTARA/Vicki Febrianto/rst)

Malang, East Java (ANTARA) – The National Police (Polri) on Tuesday announced educational scholarships for M. Alfiansyah, a fifth-grade student who lost his parents in the stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang, East Java, on October 1, 2022.

Head of the public relations division of the National Police, Inspector General Dedi Prasetyo, said that the chief of East Java Police, Inspector General Nico Afinta, will provide scholarships for Alfiansyah up to the high school level.

"The chief of East Java Police will provide scholarships for Alfiansyah until he graduates from high school," he noted in Malang, East Java, on Tuesday.

Prasetyo directly met with Alfiansyah and his relatives along with Afinta and Malang city police chief, Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto.

During the meeting, Alfiansyah, who is a student at Bareng 2 Elementary School, told them of his dream to become a police officer.

Prasetyo said that Polri will help Alfiansyah realize his wish while still prioritizing professionalism. He will assign an officer to provide guidance to Alfiansyah to achieve his goals.

"When asked, he said that he wanted to become a police officer. We will facilitate it by continuing to prioritize professionalism," he added.

In addition, Malang city police chief Hermanto said that his party will help Alfiansyah to achieve his goals. He then asked him to maintain his physical condition and health.

In the near future, Malang city police will coordinate with Alfiansyah's family and the school to ensure that all educational costs for him are borne by the police.

"Indeed, this educational assistance cannot restore the lives of Alfiansyah's parents, but we are here to give empathy to the victims. We will adopt Alfiansyah as a foster child of the Malang city police," Hermanto remarked.

Alfiansyah's parents, M. Yulianton and Devi Ratna Sari, died in the stampede that occurred at Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang, on October 1.

They died while trying to leave Gate 14 of the stadium following a match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, which Arema FC lost by 2-3.

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Translator: Vicki Febrianto, Resinta SEditor: Sri Haryati Copyright © ANTARA 2022