IKN Spokesperson Dies Suddenly, Natural Causes Determined

Troy Harold Yohanes Pantouw, spokesperson for Indonesia's new capital Nusantara (IKN) and public communication staffer for the IKN Authority, passed away on Saturday (25/7) in his room at the ASN 3 Tower 6 civil servant housing in IKN. Pantouw, known as one of the pioneers of civil service in the new capital, was pronounced dead due to natural causes at 2:25 PM WITA by the medical team from Hermina Hospital IKN, as reported by Antara. Thomas Umbu Pati Tena Bolodadi, Deputy for Development Control at the IKN Authority, detailed the chronology of the deceased's final moments. The incident began when Troy was scheduled to depart for Balikpapan at 8:00 AM WITA to lead a service at a local church. According to gathered information, Troy had woken up and was carrying out his normal activities since 6:00 AM WITA. However, suspicion arose when his personal driver attempted to contact Troy as his departure time neared. Repeated phone calls went unanswered. Worried that something might have happened, the driver took the initiative to go directly to room number 102, where Troy was staying at the ASN 3 housing. "The door was knocked and his name was called, but there was still no answer. We then decided to force open the locked room door. When it was successfully opened, we found him lying on the bed," said Thomas, who happened to live directly opposite the deceased's room. Upon examination at the scene, Troy was found to be not breathing. To ensure his medical condition, the IKN Authority immediately rushed him to the nearest hospital. "He was taken to the hospital around 12:45 PM WITA and immediately examined by a team of doctors. At 2:25 PM WITA, the doctors confirmed he had passed away due to natural causes," Thomas explained on Saturday evening. Initial physical examination results confirmed no suspicious signs on the body. According to family statements, Troy had a history of hypertension (high blood pressure) and routinely took medication daily to control his health. After administrative processes and respects were paid at Hermina Hospital IKN, Troy Pantouw's body was immediately dispatched to Jakarta. The IKN Authority estimates the body will arrive at the funeral home in Jakarta on Sunday morning (26/7). Troy's passing leaves a deep sorrow for the IKN Authority staff. He is remembered as one of the initial figures who oversaw the new era of the nation's capital relocation. Together with Thomas Umbu Pati and Deputy for Environmental Affairs Myrna Safitri, Troy was appointed to assist the then-Head of the IKN Authority, Bambang Susantono, when physical development began to accelerate in 2021. In the early stages of his service, Troy navigated challenging phases when the IKN area was still an Industrial Plantation Forest (HTI) without building facilities. He and his staff were willing to work from Balikpapan City, enduring a two-hour daily land journey to oversee the national strategic project, until they could finally settle in the IKN ASN housing.