Transmigration Minister Iftitah Oversees Resolution of 17-Year Land Dispute in Muaro Jambi

Transmigration Minister M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara has confirmed that the government is paving the way to resolve a land issue that has been hanging for almost 17 years in the Swakarsa Mandiri Transmigration Settlement (TSM) SP4, Gambut Jaya Village, Sungai Gelam District, Muaro Jambi Regency. This certainty emerged during a final case review meeting held by the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) together with the Ministry of Transmigration in Jakarta on Monday (29/6). The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of ATR/BPN Ossy Dermawan, officials from the Ministry of Transmigration, the Muaro Jambi Regency Government, the Jambi Province BPN Regional Office, the Muaro Jambi Regency Land Office, and other relevant agencies. The case review is the culmination of a lengthy and careful process involving document examination, clarification from the parties, cross-agency coordination, and a joint field survey. Based on the research and survey, 67 land parcels were found to be within the transmigration reserve area designated by the Jambi Governor’s Decree Number 285 of 1990. Of these, 50 parcels covering approximately 99.48 hectares are recommended for further action according to applicable legal mechanisms due to administrative defects. Meanwhile, 17 parcels covering approximately 24.53 hectares, which were found to have no administrative defects, will retain legal protection.

Iftitah stressed that this matter is not merely about the status of certificates, but about the state’s duty to maintain legal certainty over transmigration areas that have been reserved for the public interest. “For almost 17 years, the transmigration community has been waiting for certainty. The state cannot leave them waiting. Our task is to ensure the community’s rights are protected while maintaining legal certainty,” Iftitah said in a statement on Wednesday (1/7/2026). He noted that the transmigration community came to the area because they answered the state’s call to develop new regions. Therefore, the state has a moral and legal responsibility to ensure their rights are not neglected. “This issue is not simply a dispute between certificate holders and the transmigration community. What is at stake is whether the state continues to respect the decisions it made when it reserved the area for the transmigration programme,” he said.

Iftitah affirmed that the government remains firmly committed to the principle of the rule of law. Consequently, every land parcel was examined objectively based on facts and applicable regulations. “Those without administrative defects remain protected. Conversely, for parcels found to have administrative defects, the state is obliged to follow up through the applicable legal mechanisms. The state must be fair to all parties, but it also cannot allow the rights of the community, who have long awaited certainty, to continue to be neglected,” he explained. Furthermore, Iftitah assessed that resolving this case holds strategic significance, not only for the community in Muaro Jambi but also for legal certainty in transmigration areas across Indonesia. “What we are protecting is not just the rights of the transmigration community in Muaro Jambi. We are safeguarding the legal certainty of all transmigration areas in Indonesia. Areas that the state has reserved for the people’s interest must have legal certainty so that the transmigration programme can continue to benefit future generations,” he stated. He added that if any land parcels ultimately return to state control according to the applicable legal mechanisms, their management must be carried out in an orderly manner in accordance with their designation and the provisions of laws and regulations. “The ultimate goal is not merely cancellation. The ultimate goal is to ensure that state land is utilised to the greatest extent for the public interest in a fair, orderly manner and according to its designation,” Iftitah clarified.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of ATR/BPN Ossy Dermawan expressed appreciation to all parties who worked professionally, objectively, and transparently throughout the resolution process. “We hope this case review becomes a crucial point towards an objective, comprehensive, and accountable resolution, so that this long-standing issue finally obtains legal certainty,” said Ossy. The Ministry of Transmigration conveyed its gratitude to the Ministry of ATR/BPN, the Muaro Jambi Regency Government, the Jambi Province BPN Regional Office, the Muaro Jambi Regency Land Office, and all parties who contributed to handling this case. Going forward, the Ministry of Transmigration will continue to coordinate with the Ministry of ATR/BPN and local governments to ensure that every recommendation from the case review is followed up carefully, professionally, and in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations. Concluding his statement, the Transmigration Minister emphasised that the resolution of this case must become a momentum to restore public trust in the state. “The transmigration community came because of the state’s call. Therefore, the state must not abandon them when their rights are in question. The state must side with the people through legal certainty, because that is where justice finds its meaning,” Iftitah concluded.