Saan Mustopa Pushes for Reforestation Around Patiayam Archaeological Site in Kudus

Deputy Chairman of the NasDem Party’s central executive board and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Saan Mustopa, directly inspected the Patiayam Archaeological Site in Terban Village, Jekulo Subdistrict, Kudus Regency. The delegation aims to elevate the Patiayam Archaeological Site from regional to national status.

On the occasion, Saan was accompanied by Deputy Chairwoman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Lestari Moerdijat, who is also a House member from the NasDem faction.

Following a Ramadan Safari event distributing 1,000 basic food packages to residents, Saan’s entourage proceeded to inspect the Patiayam Archaeological Site. They travelled to the location by jeep, situated amid the rice fields of Patiayam Hill. The group viewed a replica skeleton of an ancient elephant of the Elephas species.

After visiting the hill, they proceeded to the Patiayam Archaeological Museum, which houses thousands of fragments from prehistoric animals and early humans.

“Regarding the Ramadan Safari of the NasDem Party Deputy Chairman, our visit to Kudus was indeed intended not only for social charity but also to deliberately visit the Patiayam Site,” Lestari Moerdijat told reporters at the location on Tuesday (24 February 2026).

She noted that the Patiayam Site is a rich historical legacy. Several renowned researchers, including Raden Saleh and Eugene Dubois, had previously visited Patiayam to conduct research on the archaeological site.

“It has been studied since the 19th century. Raden Saleh came here, Dubois came here,” she explained.

Lestari therefore wishes to advocate for the Patiayam Archaeological Site to become a nationally designated cultural heritage site.

“One of the things we are fighting for, with support from the Ministry of Culture — and we are grateful and fortunate that the Ministry of Culture is also giving its full attention — is to elevate the Patiayam Archaeological Site from Category C (regional level) to National Cultural Heritage status,” she said.

She explained that the Patiayam Site already meets the scientific criteria. However, other requirements are still being processed for the site to achieve national-scale status.

“Scientifically, it already meets the requirements. There are only administrative provisions to resolve, as Patiayam spans two regencies,” she explained.

Lestari Moerdijat expressed her hope that the Patiayam Archaeological Site could provide tangible benefits to surrounding communities, ranging from the tourism sector to the broader economy.

“Going forward, we certainly want the presence of this site to benefit the community. Thankfully, the community understands the site’s significance and is helping to protect it. The involvement of the jeep community, for instance, has been valuable — they collaborate to share the site’s story with visiting tourists,” she said.

Nevertheless, efforts to preserve the Patiayam environment remain equally important. She urged residents to protect and conserve the Patiayam Archaeological Site.

“One of our shared concerns is thinking about how to preserve Patiayam Hill whilst ensuring it provides benefits to the community,” she said.

“On the one hand, we must prevent deforestation, as we do not wish to repeat the experiences of other regions,” she added.

Meanwhile, Saan Mustopa said he would hold discussions with colleagues in the House to protect and preserve the Patiayam Archaeological Site in Kudus.

“We discussed concerns not only about the site itself but also about safeguarding the environment. The site is located on a hill. We must give special attention to preserving this hill,” Saan explained at the location.

“That is why reforestation is important, making it a social endeavour. We will try to discuss this with the Ministry of Forestry so that the area surrounding the Patiayam Site is properly maintained,” he continued.

Saan also plans to carry out reforestation to preserve the environment of the Patiayam Archaeological Site and ensure it delivers a positive impact for surrounding communities.

“We will conduct reforestation and other measures that can benefit the community. Perhaps we will plant trees with economic value for the community — we will communicate this further,” he said.