Prabowo Declares Four Disputed Islands as Part of Aceh

5 hours ago 1

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo has ruled that the four islands previously disputed between Aceh and North Sumatra fall under Aceh’s jurisdiction. The decision was made based on a review of official government administrative documents.

"Based on the documents, the government has made a decision that the 4 islands belong to Aceh," said State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi at the Presidential Office in Jakarta on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

The islands in question include Pulau Panjang, Pulau Lipan, Pulau Mangkir Gadang, and Pulau Mangkir Ketek. The territorial dispute had sparked public debate, but with this decision, Prasetyo urged the public not to be swayed by misinformation surrounding the issue.

At the same event, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad confirmed that the House had requested President Prabowo to resolve the matter. A meeting was subsequently held, involving Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, and North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution.

"The meeting has concluded and reached a mutual agreement," he said.

Earlier that day, Minister Tito Karnavian had met with both governors at the State Secretariat office in Jakarta to discuss the island dispute. The meeting was verified by Safrizal ZA, Director General of Regional Administration Development (Adwil) at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Yes, that's right," he confirmed via WhatsApp on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto previously said that new evidence had been discovered to help resolve the territorial conflict. Bima emphasized the importance of this newly uncovered information (referred to as novum) in reaching a final determination.

"We further studied it, there is a novum or new data that we obtained," said Bima at the Kemendagri office in Jakarta on Monday, June 16, 2025.

He explained that the findings came from an investigation conducted by a team from the Ministry of Home Affairs, in coordination with officials from the Ministry of Defense, the Geospatial Information Agency, the military, and historians.

The dispute began when the central government’s codification of administrative boundaries sparked opposition in Aceh. At the time, the Ministry of Home Affairs had assigned the four islands, located in Aceh Singkil, to the jurisdiction of Central Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra.

This reclassification was formalized under Ministerial Decree No. 300.2.2-2138/2025, which was issued on April 25, 2025, regarding the granting and updating of administrative codes and regional data.

Tito Karnavian explained that the decree was based on geographic assessments and consultations with various institutions. He also acknowledged that the ministry’s decision could be contested through legal channels.

"We are open to evaluation or legal challenges, including to the State Administrative Court (PTUN). Please go ahead," said Tito at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Dinda Shabrina, and Eka Yudha Saputra contributed to this article.

Editor's Choice: Former VP Jusuf Kalla: Four Disputed Islands Belong to Aceh, Legally and Historically

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