Golkar Supports Temporary Halt of Nickel Mining in Raja Ampat

4 hours ago 2

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Golkar supports the temporary halt of nickel mining in Raja Ampat by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia. General Secretary of the Golkar Party, Muhammad Sarmuji, said that the decision was made because nickel mining activities in Raja Ampat were proven to be damaging to the environment.

"Raja Ampat is crossed by the equator and has the richest marine biodiversity in the world. The vast sea of the bird's head is a protected area," said Sarmuji in a written statement in Jakarta on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

He said that the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources' action was appropriate and in accordance with the mandate of Law Number 1 of 2014 concerning the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands.

He explained that the law explicitly prohibits mineral mining in coastal areas and small islands if it causes ecological, social, cultural damage, and harms the society.

Sarmuji explained that Raja Ampat has 4.6 million hectares of sea covering 1,411 small islands, atolls, and reefs surrounding four main islands, namely Waigeo Batanta, Salawati, and Misool.

According to the Chairman of the Golkar Party Faction in the DPR, the mining permit in Raja Ampat was issued in 2017, before Bahlil became a member of the government cabinet. At that time, Bahlil was still the Chairman of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association or HIPMI.

Nickel mining in Raja Ampat has sparked controversy. The existence of nickel mining activities in Raja Ampat was revealed by Greenpeace Indonesia. During the Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference & Expo in Jakarta, Greenpeace unveiled the presence of nickel mines threatening the conservation area of Raja Ampat's sea.

Director of LBH Papua, Festus Ngoranmele, considered the granting of mining permits to several nickel companies operating around Raja Ampat to be in violation of the Law on Tourism and the Law on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands.

He raised concerns about the granting of mining permits to PT Gag Nikel operating on Gag Island, PT Anugerah Surya Pratama operating on Manura Island, PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa operating on Batang Pele Island, and PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining operating on Kawe Island. "The issuance of these permits has, is, and will destroy the islands in the Raja Ampat region," Festus said in a written statement on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

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