DPR: Effective Steps Need To Restore 4 Aceh-Owned Islands

Illustration. Pulo Aceh District, Aceh Besar District. (Antaranews)

JAKARTA - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from Aceh, Nasir Djamil, highlighted the issue of the dispute between the four islands between Aceh and North Sumatra, which until now have not found a bright spot. Nasir said that the documentation of the ownership of the four disputed islands had not been completely resolved even though the Ministry of Home Affairs had stated that the 4 islands now belonged to North Sumatra.

Nasir believes that the 4 regions declared as North Sumatra are still owned by Aceh Province. However, there must be effective and implementative steps to return the 4 islands belonging to Aceh.

"The matter of documentation is still being debated. But I am sure that the four islands are part of Aceh Province," said Nasir Djamil, Thursday, June 12.

As is known, the central government through the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) decided that four islands in Aceh entered the Central Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra (North Sumatra).

The decision is contained in the Decree of the Minister of Home Affairs (Kepmendagri) Number 300.2.2-2138 of 2025 concerning the Provision and Update of Codes and Data for Government and Island Administration Areas set for April 25, 2025.

The four islands in Aceh that are now declared by the Ministry of Home Affairs to enter the North Sumatra region are Lipan Island, Panjang Island, Mangkir Besar Island, and Mangkir Kecil Island. The four areas were previously located in Aceh Singkil Regency.

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian explained that the determination of four islands in Aceh to enter the North Sumatra region had passed a long discussion involving many agencies. Tito claims that the land boundary has been agreed upon by the regional government of Aceh Singkil Regency and Central Tapanuli Regency. However, for the boundaries of the sea area, the two local governments have not agreed on this.

Therefore, Nasir, who is a member of Commission III of the DPR in charge of law, asked the Aceh regional government to immediately take strategic action to take over 4 regions that are now recognized as the North Sumatra region.

"Because it has been decided by the Decree of the Minister of Home Affairs, Aceh needs to take an effective and implementative attitude and strategy," said Nasir.

Currently, administratively the four regions are declared to belong to North Sumatra. Meanwhile, in various agrarian records, land ownership data to regional boundary maps show the four islands are part of Aceh.

According to Nasir, there are legal and administrative opportunities for Aceh to reclaim the four islands. "There is an opportunity for Aceh to take back the four islands that North Sumatra claims administratively through the Decree of the Minister of Home Affairs," explained the legislator from the Aceh II electoral district.

Furthermore, Nasir said the dispute over 4 Aceh regions with North Sumatra was one of the many regional boundary problems. According to him, the issue of boundary boundaries is still a fundamental problem in Indonesia that has not been resolved.

"Never mind the sea boundary, the land boundary is still a lot of problems," said Nasir.

Nasir assessed that there should be an agency that has the authority to measure regional boundaries. Or it could be by inviting experts or resource persons who are experts in the field to find solutions, so that this problem can be resolved quickly. Of course, resource persons are independent and have integrity to convey to these four islands," he said.

Nasir then proposed representatives of the people to facilitate this in order to ensure that the experts involved really act fairly. The DPR RI and DPD RI as representatives of the people are considered to be mediators.

"I propose to the DPR RI and DPD RI to bring in credible sources, as well as to have competence when discussing four islands with the Governor of Aceh," explained Nasir.

"The source will later provide second alternatives and secondly to the problems we face," he concluded.