Zulhas Affirms No Forestry Minister Has Ever Issued A Permit At Tesso Nilo

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister (Menko) Pangan Zulkifli Hasan straightened out public accusations that dragged his name into the issue of Tesso Nilo National Park damage in Riau.

He emphasized that none of the Ministers of Forestry, either during or before and after, had issued permits in the area.

Zulhas, as he is familiarly called, said Tesso Nilo was a national park that legally should not be issued any permits. He said, if a minister issues a permit, the criminal penalty is threatened.

"Testo Nilo, there is no Minister of Forestry who dares to give permission, not just me. Any Minister of Forestry cannot dare to give permission at Tesso Nilo. If he gives permission at Tesso Nilo, he goes straight to prison for a crime," he said at the BIG Conference 2025 event in Jakarta, Monday, December 8.

According to Zulhas, the damage that occurred at Tesso Nilo did not come from government policies, but from the massive increase that has occurred since the reform era.

"How come the Tesso Nilo is damaged? When the reforms were invaded there were 50,000 people now. Then what was Zulkifli Hasan's fault there? What did you say? All the wrong people said I accepted it, that's okay," he said.

Zulhas emphasized that the existence of tens of thousands of increase in the Tesso Nilo area was a legal issue. Therefore, he said that the prosecution of violations was under the authority of law enforcement officers, not the Ministry of Forestry he led at that time.

He made this point while recalling his interview with environmental actor and activist Harrison Ford, who at that time questioned the government's reason for not taking action against the increasers at Tesso Nilo.

"That's where the Americans came, how come you didn't catch 50,000 people? I said that the criminal increase is the realm of law. It's just that I don't feel good when talking about why not being arrested is not my authority. How can I say that? It's not allowed. It's not allowed, "he said.

Zulhas also mentioned the name of the public discussion after the floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. According to him, Tesso Nilo had nothing to do with the disasters that occurred in the area, because the national park was in Riau Province.

Selain itu, Zulhas juga menyinggung adanya anggapan yang menyalahkan dirinya atas bencana di luar negeri. Kata dia, tuduhan tersebut juga tidak relevan.

“Yang dipermasalahkan Kepada Zulkifli Hasan Tesso Nilo. Tesso Nilo itu di Provinsi Riau. Sementara ini Provinsi Riau tidak ada bencana apapun. Tapi bencana itu yang salah Zulkifli Hasan termasuk di Thailand dan Malaysia. Ya enggak apa-apa saya maafkan. Enggak apa-apa,” ujarnya.

In addition, Zulhas also mentioned the assumption that blamed him for disasters abroad. He said the allegations were also irrelevant.

The problem is with Zulkifli Hasan Tesso Nilo. Tesso Nilo is in Riau Province. Meanwhile, Riau Province has no disaster whatsoever. But it was Zulkifli Hasan's fault, including in Thailand and Malaysia. Yes, that's okay, I forgive. It's okay," he said.