Raja Juli Pledges to Prevent Future Disasters Caused by Environmental Damage

Forestry Minister and Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Secretary-General Raja Juli Antoni has declared he will work to ensure that the floods and landslides that struck several areas of Sumatra some time ago do not happen again.

He stated he would implement eco-theological principles in state policy and overhaul systems within the Ministry of Forestry.

“I have been given the opportunity to serve at the Ministry of Forestry, and therefore I will use this mandate to ensure the disasters that occurred in these three provinces do not happen again in the future,” Raja Juli said in a statement on Sunday (22 February).

Raja Juli noted that Islam has a strong foundation obliging its followers to protect the environment and forests.

He said that Islam has a firm grounding in responding to environmental issues, citing numerous verses of the Quran and hadiths that require Muslims to care for nature.

“Allah says ‘Wa la tufsidu fil-ardi ba’da’ — do not cause damage, do not litter, do not carry out deforestation, do not pollute the environment after Allah has made it well and perfect,” he said.

Floods and landslides struck several areas across Sumatra towards the end of 2025. Environmental degradation was widely cited as a contributing cause of the hydrological disasters.

In response, the government revoked forest utilisation permits (PPBH) of 28 companies found to have committed forest destruction violations that contributed to the floods and landslides.

State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the decision to revoke the permits of the 28 companies was taken by President Prabowo Subianto during a restricted meeting held via Zoom from London, United Kingdom, on Monday 19 January.

Prasetyo said the 28 companies comprised 22 firms holding natural forest and plantation forest utilisation business permits covering 1,010,592 hectares, as well as six companies in the mining, plantation, and timber forest product utilisation permit sectors.

“The President has taken the decision to revoke the permits of 28 companies proven to have committed violations,” State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said at a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (20 January).