Jakarta (ANTARA) – House Speaker Puan Maharani called for an urgent strengthening of national maritime safety and security protocols, following a series of fatal ship accidents recorded across Indonesian waters in the first half of 2026.In a statement issued in Jakarta on Tuesday, Puan emphasized that the primary benchmark for maritime transport success must be public safety and security, rather than mere connectivity and logistical flow.”This is a shared responsibility. The numerous maritime accidents since the beginning of the year demonstrate that serious problems persist in Indonesian maritime transportation,” Puan said.The push comes in the wake of several high-profile maritime disasters across the country's sea routes.Most recently, on August 2, 2026, a fire broke out aboard the passenger ferry Mutiara Sentosa II in the waters off Sumenep, Madura, East Java—leaving five passengers dead while joint Search and Rescue (SAR) teams continue to search for missing victims.The Madura disaster follows the sinking of the motor yacht Nurul Salsa off South Sulawesi's Selayar Islands Regency on July 15. While 58 passengers were rescued, four lost their lives and 14 remain missing.Expressing her deep condolences to the families of the victims, Puan drew attention to serious discrepancies between actual passenger counts and official ship manifests in both incidents.She called for a thorough evaluation of manifest auditing practices, noting that negligence in safety protocols remains a primary cause of recent maritime disasters.Highlighting Indonesia’s geography as the world's largest archipelagic state, Puan emphasized that sea transport is an essential lifeline for remote communities to access health, education, and trade services.She argued that every sea disaster inflicts damage far beyond the immediate loss of life, eroding public confidence and leaving communities “haunted by anxiety” whenever they travel by sea.Therefore, maritime safety should be treated as a basic human right and a national priority.”Safety must be a performance measure on a par with connectivity,” Puan affirmed.To address these chronic vulnerabilities, she urged the government to incorporate clear targets for reducing maritime accidents into the national development agenda, supported by regular cross-ministerial evaluations.Under this proposal, port operators, regulators, and authorities would be held directly accountable based on their accident prevention and rescue capabilities.”Indonesia, as an archipelagic nation, must be able to provide a transportation system that not only connects islands but also ensures that every journey takes place according to safety standards that provide a sense of security for all citizens,” Puan concluded.