DPR Defends Raja Juli: Forest Damage Is Not The Wrong Minister Of Forestry, But The Heritage Of Reform

JAKARTA - Minister of Forestry (Menhut), King Juli Antoni, received defense from Member of Commission IV DPR RI, Firman Soebagyo, regarding accusations of forest destruction in Indonesia. Firman emphasized that ecological damage that occurred was a long-standing problem and could not be unilaterally charged to the minister who had just served.

This affirmation was conveyed by Firman in a working meeting of Commission IV of the DPR with King Juli Antoni at the DPR Building, Jakarta, Thursday the meeting also discussed crucial issues such as floods and landslides that hit several areas.

"Mr. Minister (King Juli Antoni) is washing dishes, that's why I defend it. That's why when I asked for the nasuha token. Because of this forest destruction incident, it wasn't a year or two. After the reform, our forest was destroyed," said Firman, quoted from ANTARA, Friday, November 5, 2025.

According to him, the problem of forest destruction in the country is not a problem that has arisen in the last one or two years, but rather an accumulation of policies and bad practices that have been going on since the era of previous reforms.

DPR Asks For Agrarian Reform To Be Stopped

In addition to criticizing past practices, Firman also highlighted the policy of agrarian reform. He assessed that the policy contributed significantly to the damage to forest areas and exacerbated the risk of natural disasters.

"Stop agrarian reforms, this is also one of the causes of our forest damage," he explained straightforwardly.

Firman described how vulnerable the geological condition of a number of areas is. He even admitted that he felt the risk firsthand when crossing landslide-prone areas in Java.

"I'm sad, sir, let alone those in Sumatra, even we who sit in this room are sometimes afraid that when we pass through Puncak, we are afraid of landslides, where we go afraid that there will be a road suddenly breaking up like the one in Aceh," he said.

Licensed Wood Transport In The Midst Of A Disaster Is Considered Harassment

Disaster events in West Sumatra (West Sumatra), North Sumatra (North Sumatra), and Aceh, according to Firman, should be a strong alarm for all parties to focus on saving the environment.

However, he regretted the ongoing activity of transporting wood in the midst of the crisis situation, even though the activity had legal permission. Firman urged the Minister of Forestry to take firm action.

"In a disaster situation in such a way, there are still those who transport wood, although they still have a permit. I ask the minister to take firm action. If they need to revoke their permits because they are sense of crisis (not having crisis sensitivity), it is harassment to the state. Harassment to the people there (West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh)," he said.