Wife of Late KPPS Member Irked by Hoaxes

TEMPO.CO, Malang - A family member of a polling station working committee (KPPS) who died while on duty during the 2019 election has condemned hoax spreaders who tried to link the deceased’s cause of death to poisoning.

“We could earnestly accept his death, no need to dismantle his grave because that would be useless and only add to our mental misery,” said Sujatwati on Monday, May 20.

Sujatwati is the wife of late Sunaryo Andrianto, a KPPS leader in Kepatihan Village, Tirtoyudo District, Malang. She requested people to not use her husband’s death as a political tool in the presidential election race as she and her entire family had accepted the situation.

Sunaryo Andrianto died in the ICU of the Dr. Sjaiful Anwar general hospital (RSSA) on Saturday, April 13.

Sujatwati revealed her husband’s habit of consuming dark black coffee, and that the late was also a chain smoker. The father of three, she says, would generally consume more coffee than water for his daily intake.

She recalled herself constantly reminding Sunaryo about his bad habit but was always responded in a joking manner suggesting that illnesses were scared to enter his body. The late Sunaryo was known as a selfless hard worker who was jubilant and generally a witty individual. 

Read: Police Search for Spreaders of KPPS Officer Poisoning Rumors

“He loved to work hard and was often busy tending to other people’s needs at the village office or at the local school. He never thought about himself, not even his own health, all he thought and did was completing tasks but many were happy with his help,” said Sujatwati.

However, his activities increased exponentially in the past year especially after he was trusted as the region’s polling station leader.

Sunaryo was taken multiple times to local hospitals due to fatigue and also underwent surgery for his intestinal cancer. The surgery was a success but his health deteriorated and he eventually passed away on April 13, 2019, a few days ahead of the nationwide elections he helped prepare.

For his service for the nation as a KPPS leader, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa financially helped Sunaryo’s family and awarded a certificate on April 25 to commemorate his role. 

ABDI PURMONO (CONTRIBUTOR)