BANDA ACEH - The Aceh government together with elements of the Aceh DPR and DPR/DPD from Aceh agreed to resolve the polemic of the four islands that the central government has now entered into North Sumatra, through non-litigation channels or outside the court.
"The four islands are our right, we must maintain them, the island belongs to us, belongs to Aceh," said the Governor of Aceh, Muzakir Manaf or Mualem, in Banda Aceh, Friday, June 13, as reported by ANTARA.
This statement was conveyed by Mualem after holding a joint meeting with the Aceh DPR, the DPR/DPD Joint Forum (Forbes) from Aceh, the Regent of Aceh Singkil, ulama to Acehnese academics, regarding the resolution of the problems of the four islands in Aceh Singkil.
Mualem emphasized that there are three steps that will be taken to resolve the island dispute, first in a family, administrative and political manner. In essence, the Ministry of Home Affairs must return the four islands to Aceh.
"The first is a family and administrative and political approach," he said.
In addition, the joint meeting agreement tonight also decided that Aceh would not bring the island's issue to court, in this case, suing the Decree of the Minister of Home Affairs of the PTUN (state administration).
Mualem said that tonight's meeting had also determined an objection letter to the Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian regarding the decision to give the island of Aceh to North Sumatra. "The point is (the objection letter), first our rights, evidence and data on our rights, then historically our rights. In terms of our population, geographically our rights, I think that's all, that's all we maintain," he said.
In addition to submitting an objection letter to the Minister of Home Affairs, Mualem will also attend a meeting with the Minister of Home Affairs to discuss the island's problems, which is planned to take place on June 18, 2025.
He emphasized that if this effort did not find an agreement or the island was not returned to Aceh. So, it will then be submitted directly to President Prabowo Subianto.
"That is the last step (meeting the President), God willing, that is the last stage. If everything doesn't work, Alhamdulillah, I believe (the President) is committed to Aceh, like that. God willing, we pray together," he said.
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On the other hand, Mualem also emphasized that he did not want to meet the Governor of North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution, to discuss the issue of the four islands.
"We don't discuss how we sit together (Governor of North Sumatra), that's our right, ours, ours, we must maintain it, that's all," said Mualem.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Forbes DPD-DPR RI from Aceh, TA Khalid, stated that they had agreed that the four islands really belonged to Aceh based on the available evidence, both history and documents.
"Evidence of history and so on, the four islands are valid for us (Aceh). So we agreed to defend, and must be returned," he said.
He emphasized that Aceh would also not bring this issue to the Administrative Court because the four islands belonged to Aceh.
"No need, why go to the Administrative Court, ours and we have agreed to take administrative and political steps," said TA Khalid.
As is known, the dispute over four islands in the Aceh Singkil region between Aceh and North Sumatra has been going on for a long time. Both claim ownership.
The four islands are Panjang Island, Lipan Island, Mangkir Gadang Island, and Mangkir Kepek Island.
Then, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued Decree Number 300.2.2-2138 of 2025 concerning the Provision and Update of Codes and Data on Government and Island Administration Areas, set for April 25, 2025.
The Ministry of Home Affairs' decision determined the administrative status of the four islands as part of the Central Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra Province.
The Aceh government is currently still trying to advocate for the return of the four islands to re-enter the Aceh region.
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