Amidst growing concerns over deforestation and its link to increasingly frequent natural disasters, an Indonesian lawmaker is publicly defending the current forestry minister, Raja Juli Antoni. Commission IV member Firman Soebagyo asserted that Antoni inherited a long-standing environmental crisis, shifting blame away from the current administration and toward decades of ecological damage dating back to the “reform era.” The defense follows criticism regarding the government’s response to recent devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra and Aceh, were illegal logging continues to be a notable issue despite existing regulations.
Jakarta –
An Indonesian lawmaker is defending the country’s forestry minister amid criticism over widespread deforestation, arguing the minister inherited a deeply rooted problem and is being unfairly blamed. The comments come as the nation grapples with the aftermath of recent natural disasters exacerbated by environmental damage.
“The Minister [Raja Juli Antoni] is just washing dishes, that’s why I defend him,” said Firman Soebagyo, a member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at the DPR building in Jakarta. “That’s why I defended him when [Muhaimin Iskandar] called for repentance. Because this destruction of forests isn’t something that’s happened in one or two years. Our forests have been destroyed since the reform era.”
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Soebagyo asserted that Minister Raja Juli shouldn’t be held solely responsible for the current state of the nation’s forests, emphasizing that the ecological damage predates his appointment. The lawmaker’s defense comes as Indonesia faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental policies and the impact of deforestation on natural disasters.
He also criticized land reform policies, suggesting they have contributed to forest degradation and increased the risk of calamities.
“Stop land reform, this is also one of the causes of the damage to our forests,” Soebagyo stated.
The representative described the precarious geological conditions in several parts of Indonesia, recounting his own anxieties while traveling through landslide-prone areas.
“I’m saddened, sir. Not just in Sumatra, even those of us sitting in this room are sometimes afraid when passing through Puncak, fearing a landslide, or encountering roads suddenly cut off like in Aceh,” he said.
Soebagyo pointed to recent disasters in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh as a warning for all parties to prioritize environmental protection. He expressed dismay over ongoing logging activities, even those with legal permits, during the crisis.
“In such a disastrous situation, there are still those transporting wood, even with permits. I ask the minister to take firm action. If necessary, revoke the permits because they lack a sense of crisis; it’s an insult to the nation, an insult to the people there [West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh],” he added.
(idn/dhn)
