PRIME NEWS POST
The INDONESIAN , (Jakarta)— Six years have passed since the 2019 Minang United Festival Milennial was held in Padang, West Sumatra. Even so, the matter of five Umrah travel packages promised as prizes for the winners remains unresolved.
Afri Joni Zoebir, one of the five Umrah‑prize winners and representative for the other recipients, is calling for clarity on the long‑overdue reward. The Umrah packages were officially announced as door‑prize giveaways for the large‑scale event attended by thousands of participants.
Afri Joni explained that the 2019 Minang United Festival Milennial, which was associated with Prof. Firdaus Ali — then Coordinator of Expert Staff at the DKI Jakarta Governor’s Office — offered several prizes for attendees, including the five Umrah trips to the Holy Land.
Other prizes such as mobile phones, washing machines, and electric fans were reportedly handed over to their respective winners. By contrast, the five Umrah packages have never been realized years after the festival concluded.
Afri Joni said he had repeatedly contacted Prof. Firdaus Ali to seek an explanation. He also visited the DKI Jakarta City Hall several times to follow up on the promised prizes. According to his account, he has not been able to meet with the relevant party, and the staff members he spoke with could not provide confirmation on whether a meeting would be possible.
“This is no longer just about waiting for a prize. We are simply asking for transparency and accountability for something that was formally announced and awarded to the winners. Those who were declared victors should not be left without any definite answer,” Afri Joni stated.
He also noted that the prize issue is not limited to the five Umrah packages. Several other prize recipients from the event have already filed police reports over rewards they never received.
Afri Joni is urging the event organizers, the committee, and all responsible parties to issue a public explanation. If there are obstacles to delivering the prizes, the winners deserve clear information rather than being kept waiting indefinitely.
He added that prizes announced at a public event are not merely a marketing trick to draw crowds. Once participants are officially named winners, the organizers must honor their commitments.
“The public’s trust should not be taken for granted. We expect the five Umrah packages that were promised will be delivered exactly as the committee announced during the festival,” Afri Joni stressed.
Years later, the winners are still asking the same questions: Where are the five Umrah packages, who bears responsibility, and when will their rights as winners be fulfilled?
The public is waiting for an explanation and good‑faith response from the organizers. An event of that scale, which drew thousands of members of the community, must be backed by accountability to complete every commitment that was publicly announced.
Reported from various media sources //photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media // news.paper
