Pontianak, Thekabarnews.com – The West Kalimantan Provincial Government asks everyone to celebrate Christmas 2025 and New Year’s 2026 (Nataru) without fireworks or firecrackers. The West Kalimantan Governor, Ria Norsan, made this request personally. It is a way to show sympathy for the people in numerous parts of Sumatra who are now dealing with natural calamities.

Governor Norsan of West Kalimantan has issued a letter prohibiting the use of firecrackers and fireworks during the Nataru celebrations. He asked the people of West Kalimantan to celebrate the New Year in a simple way. Their celebrations should show they cared about each other.

“We ask everyone to keep Christmas and New Year’s as simple as possible. We remember that our brothers and sisters in Sumatra are going through a lot right now. If you can, it would be better to provide the money for firecrackers to help them,” Norsan added.

Edi Rusdi Kamtono, the mayor of Pontianak, also made a similar request. The government of Pontianak City strongly forbids fireworks displays on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. This rule includes events within or outside hotels.

“We do not allow fireworks shows. We ask people to celebrate the New Year at houses of worship or in their homes with communal prayer,” Edi said.

Edi said that the prohibition is not just a way for the country to show compassion. This is because the weather in Pontianak is still unstable. It could bring heavy rain, strong winds, and high seas. He also encouraged people to be more careful about possible fires. They should make sure that the electrical systems in their homes are safe.

The Kubu Raya District Government has also said that there will be no fireworks at the New Year’s Eve party in 2026. This strategy is in line with what Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian said. The goal is to celebrate the New Year in a simple way. This act shows sympathy for the people who lost their homes in natural catastrophes in Sumatra.

Sujiwo, the Kubu Raya Regent, said they chose to channel the excitement of the New Year into more helpful and charitable acts. On New Year’s Eve in Kubu Raya, people prayed together.

Sujiwo remarked that instead of having a big party to celebrate New Year’s Eve, the main focus was on raising money for humanitarian causes. They only had the simple opening of the Gaforraya Roundabout as an event.

He said that so far, the humanitarian funds have raised more than Rp400 million. The Kubu Raya Regent, civil servants, teachers, the Kubu Raya DPRD, Bank Kalbar, PDAM, community members, and personal donations from the Kubu Raya Regent all give money to these funds. The Kubu Raya people, believed to be destitute, will also receive food packages from the fund.

The West Kalimantan Regional Police are also stepping up security on New Year’s Eve, in addition to local government rules. Indecent behavior is one of their primary concerns. The West Kalimantan Police’s Inspector General Pipit Rismanto emphasized that they had planned security for the New Year’s holiday well in advance. This guarantees the seamless execution of all community events.

“We are implementing this security to uphold West Kalimantan’s social values and public order,” Pipit stated.

In addition to maintaining peace, the West Kalimantan Police are dispatching personnel to prepare for potential calamities. The police chief stressed that the police are always ready to help people in emergencies.

He also told the people of West Kalimantan to embrace the new year with prayer, compassion, and social care.

“Let us have a safe and orderly New Year’s Eve,” he said in closing.