Haji Isam's Luxury Vessel Converted into Food Logistics Base
The J7 Explorer expedition cruise ship, owned by South Kalimantan businessman Andi Samsudin Arsyad, also known as Haji Isam, has suddenly become a hot topic on social media. The trigger was the hull of the 120-metre luxury vessel displaying the official logo of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the private fleet has indeed been deployed to support the operations and logistics of a national strategic programme, particularly the acceleration of food security across various regions of Indonesia.
Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defence Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defence, explained that the placement of the ministry’s logo on the vessel owned by Jhonlin Marine Transport indicates that the fleet’s operational activities are under the authority and official assignment of the government.
“The ship is being used to support activities and the mobilisation of food security programme requirements being carried out in several regions of Indonesia, including Wanam in South Papua, as well as areas in Kalimantan and Sumatra,” said Rico on Saturday (15/8).
Rico stressed that ownership of the asset remains in private hands. However, its utilisation is fully directed towards supporting the state’s major efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency.
The J7 Explorer was built in Batam and completed in 2022. The 8,076 GT vessel is equipped with 25 cabins capable of accommodating around 50 guests, a helipad, and accommodation for a large crew.
However, instead of being used for luxury cruising, the magnificent ship has been converted into a floating base camp to support a large-scale rice field development project in Wanam, Merauke Regency, South Papua.
The isolated geographical character of South Papua, with its minimal land infrastructure, makes the presence of the J7 Explorer crucial. The ship serves as a coordination centre, temporary accommodation for experts, and a logistics hub amid difficult field access.
The involvement of the J7 Explorer is part of the massive resource mobilisation undertaken by Haji Isam in response to the food security priority agenda under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto. To meet the rice field development target in Merauke, thousands of units of heavy equipment and professional personnel from within the country and abroad have been deployed directly to the project site.
“Around 2,000 excavators were brought in from China. In addition, experts from China, Japan, and Europe have also been involved to support the work on the ground,” said Haji Isam in a separate statement.
He stressed that his involvement in this mega project is not merely a matter of business profit and loss, but rather a form of responsibility in carrying out the state’s mandate. The project is expected not only to strengthen the national food stock but also to open thousands of new jobs for the people of Papua.
Similar programmes have also been expanded to Karanganyar Regency, Temanggung, West Lampung, and Temanggung with a total planting area of 127.5 hectares.
Based on data from Perum Bulog, the realisation of domestic rice grain absorption by the state-owned food company up to 29 June 2026 has reached 3.24 million tonnes.
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