JAKARTA - Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Nusron Wahid, apologized for his statement that went viral and caused misunderstanding among the public.
"I, Minister of ATR/BPN Nusron Wahid, apologize to the Indonesian people, the public, and netizens for my statement some time ago that went viral, sparked controversy, and caused misunderstanding," said Nusron at a press conference in Jakarta, Antara News Agency reported, Tuesday, August 12.
With humility, Nusron emphasized that his statement was intended to explain land policy, particularly regarding abandoned land, in accordance with Article 33 paragraph 3 of the 1945 Constitution, which states that land, water, and natural resources are controlled by the state and used for the greatest possible prosperity of the people.
"We need to honestly admit that there are millions of hectares of land with Land Use Rights (HGU) and Building Use Rights (HGB) that are abandoned, unproductive, and not providing optimal benefits to the community," he said.
According to Nusron, abandoned land needs to be utilized for strategic government programs such as agrarian reform, smallholder agriculture, food security, affordable housing, and providing land for public facilities like schools, community health centers, and other public facilities.
He emphasized that the policy does not target privately owned land, rice paddies, yards, inherited land, or land with ownership and use rights certificates. "The target is only HGU and HGB land, which cover millions of hectares but are left idle," he said.
Nusron also acknowledged that some of his earlier statements were made in a joking tone. However, he considered the joke inappropriate for a public official. "After reviewing it, I realize the joke was inappropriate and had the potential to create misperceptions in the public. Therefore, I sincerely apologize for this verbal insult," he said.
Going forward, Nusron is committed to being more careful in his choice of words so that the government's policy messages are conveyed effectively and do not offend anyone.
"May Allah SWT forgive our sins, and may the Indonesian people accept this apology," said Nusron.
Previously, Nusron's statement about the state's ability to take over idle land sparked public reaction, including memes and parodies on social media. He stated that land that has not been used for two years can be taken over by the state because essentially all land in Indonesia belongs to the state, while the people are granted ownership of that land.
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