Ministry Of Home Affairs: Historical Factors Become Considerations For Determining Regional Boundaries

Deputy Minister Of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto/ANTARA

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto said the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) also considered historical and political factors in determining regional boundaries, including in determining the ownership of four islands on the border of Aceh-North Sumatra (North Sumatra).

"The Ministry of Home Affairs in deciding territorial boundaries and territory allocations, this not only considers geographical factors, such as regional proximity, but also historical, political facts, and then social and cultural data," said Bima Arya as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, June 17.

Bima said these matters were also discussed in cross-agency meetings related to regional boundaries, including the Ministry of Defense, Information and Geospatial Agency, Army, Navy, historical actors and other stakeholders.

He said the meeting was attended by all parties directly involved in the process of determining regional boundaries, naming codes, and activities related to national earth-shaped identification.

"At today's meeting, data has been submitted as the basis for deciding finally regarding the status of the four islands and we need to convey that in addition to the existing data, we study more deeply, there is novum, or new data that we obtained based on the search of the Ministry of Home Affairs," he said.

The new data has also been submitted by the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian to President Prabowo Subianto.

However, Bima has not yet commented further on what new data was submitted to the President, but according to him, this data is very important in making decisions regarding regional disputes. He said the new data was obtained based on a search by a team from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto immediately made a decision regarding the polemic of administrative boundaries between Aceh and North Sumatra Provinces, especially regarding the management of four islands in the border areas of the two regions.

This was conveyed by the Head of the Presidential Communication Office (PCO), Hasan Nasbi, responding to the differences in aspirations that arose between the two provinces.

"The president took over this directly and promised that it would be completed as soon as possible," said Hasan Nasbi.

Hasan explained that in the Unitary State system of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), regional sovereignty is entirely in the hands of the central government.

"Meanwhile, local governments only have administrative authority over the region which is the scope of their duties, including the management of islands within the region," Hasan added.

"In the concept of our country, the ones who have sovereignty over the region are the central government, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The regional government has an administrative area," he said.

The polemic on the administrative boundaries between the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, which has been rolling since 1928, has resurfaced after different claims of management of four islands in the border area of the two provinces emerged.

The Decree of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 300.2.2-2138 of 2025 has determined that four islands, namely Lipan Island, Panjang Island, Mangkir Ketek Island, and Mangkir Gadang Island are included in the administrative area of North Sumatra Province, to be precise Central Tapanuli Regency, which is directly adjacent to Aceh Singkil Regency.

This policy has sparked aspiration differences from the two local governments, each of which feels it has historical and administrative ties to the islands.