Permata Bank Invites The Community To Maintain The Sustainability Of Sumatran Elephants In Bukit Tigapuluh

(ki-ka) Chicco Jerikho - Actor; Meliza M. Rusli - President Director of Permata Bank; Raja Juli Antoni - Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia; Aditya Bayunanda, Chief Executive Officer, WWF-Indonesia at the launch of the Documentary Film Divisible Space for Bukit Tigapuluh

JAKARTA - Permata Bank affirms its commitment to sustainable community development to carry out Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) through the launch of the Documentary Film 'Dividing Space for Bukit Tigapuluh', right at the commemoration of World Elephant Day, August 12.

This work is the result of collaboration with the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF-Indonesia) and KITE Entertainment, as an effort to build public awareness of the importance of community role in maintaining the natural movement path or wild living corridor of Sumatran Elephants in forest areas. With the important role of maintaining a balanced ecosystem, elephants and humans are expected to coexist to protect forests in Bukit Tigapuluh, Jambi province.

The release of the documentary film, which was held at XXI Epicentrum, Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, was attended by the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, who supported Elephant education and conservation efforts in various parts of Indonesia, including in Bukit Tigapuluh, Jambi.

The government is currently coordinating with various parties, especially WWF-Indonesia, in an effort to intensify elephant conservation in Indonesia. We realize that education is an important part of wildlife conservation and we really appreciate what Permata Bank has done in the form of a Space Sharing film for Bukit Tigapuluh to increase public awareness of the importance of maintaining elephant habitat. Especially the preservation of elephant wild living corridors in a sustainable manner so that elephant populations can be maintained and negative interactions with the community can also be avoided," said Raja Juli Antoni, Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.

Katharine Grace, Chief of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Permata Bank said, "As a financial institution that is committed to sustainability, Permata Bank believes that environmental conservation can only be realized with the active role of all stakeholders, including corporations and society. Through Documentary Film Sharing Space for Bukit Tigapuluh, we invite various parties and community layers to play an active role in preserving the Sumatran elephant habitat and preventing its population from being critical. With a joint collaboration, we can support harmonious and prosperous living efforts between humans and wildlife."

The Sumatran elephant is one of the species that has a critical status according to the International Union red list for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a distribution area in various forest bags of Sumatra, ranging from Aceh, Riau, Jambi, to Lampung. Based on data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2020, it recorded an elephant population of between 924 to 1,359 individuals in 22 elephant cruise locations. The elephant population was forced to intersect with residents because its place of life was subject to a function transfer. The construction of the region should prioritize a sustainable concept, by dividing space between elephants and local residents. Thus, every natural space resident can maintain the continuity of the chain of life in a harmonious manner. This model pattern has been implemented in the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape, Jambi.

WWF-Indonesia appreciates Permata Bank's commitment to play an active role in the preservation of the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape. This collaboration not only strengthens a safe landscape for Sumatran elephants (Elephasmen Sumatranus), but also improves the welfare of the local community. We hope this initiative can be an inspiration for various parties and the community to actively participate in Indonesia's natural conservation," said Aditya Bayunanda, Chief Executive Officer, WWF-Indonesia.

The documentary film 'Dividing Space for Bukit Tigapuluh' can be accessed by the public through Permata Bank's YouTube channel starting August 13, 2025. In this documentary, Chicco Jerikho, an actor who cares deeply about elephant issues, will invite viewers to explore the challenges of natural phenomena and negative interactions between humans and elephants so as to narrow the living space of wildlife and humans. This documentary also highlights the conservation efforts to protect the survival of this Sumatran elephant with critical status and is often referred to as Datuk Gedang by local residents, while improving the welfare of the surrounding community on an ongoing basis.

I feel it is a moral responsibility to voice the condition of wildlife in Indonesia, especially the Sumatran elephant whose population is critical. With the presence of this story to the screen, it is hoped that more people will understand that preserving nature is our common responsibility. It feels very proud to be able to work with Permata Bank and WWF-Indonesia in voicing this message, while at the same time inviting people to learn to share space, because forests do not only belong to humans but also to other living things, said Chicco Jerikho, the actor who was directly involved and played the role of narration in the documentary Divising Space for Bukit Tigapuluh.

Katharine Grace added her appreciation to WWF-Indonesia, Chicco Jerikho, KITE Entertainment, resource persons, the local community, the production team, and the Employee Volunteers (EVO) Permata Bank. "Hopefully this documentary will be a positive contribution in increasing public awareness and encouraging sustainable synergy for the preservation of nature and ecosystems that we want to protect together," concluded Katharine Grace.

This program is a continuation of the #With Hati for Bukit Tigapuluh initiative which started in August 2024 with WWF-Indonesia guided by 3 pillars of Permata Hati Education, Empowerment, Enhancement. Permata Bank focuses on preserving Sumatran Elephant habitat through reforestation efforts by planting 3600 tree seedlings, improving the quality of the community's economy through the creation of 27 honeycomb boxes to produce honey, to renovating educational facilities to create a better learning environment for the children of the Talang Mamak tribe, including improving learning space, library construction, multipurpose hall, and sanitation facilities at SDN 167-VIII Dusun Simerantihan.

In 2025, Permata Bank together with WWF-Indonesia will also launch the Adopt a Tree program, which opens up opportunities for PermataBankers and the public to adopt tree seedlings as part of a refurbishment effort in Bukit Tigapuluh.