Minister AHY Vows to Eradicate Land Mafia for Defending Small People
- Foe Peace Simbolon/VIVA.
Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) promised to eradicate land mafia as a manifestation of his commitment to defending the small people.
"We (the Ministry of ATR/BPN) will take firm measures, regardless of circumstances, there must be no one violating the law in our country. Especially, when it comes to dealing with and facing the people, especially the underprivileged," the minister said in Jakarta on Monday.
Minister AHY stated that in order to eliminate land mafias in Indonesia, the government needs to prepare well-thought-out strategies and study the current situation, considering that land mafia practices have long been entrenched in Indonesia.
"The government will be there to defend the underprivileged, but we also want to truly understand the situation because land issues and disputes are complex and need to be carefully examined," Minister AHY remarked.
Minister AHY also held a meeting with Minister of Economy Hartarto to discuss various agrarian programs that need to be completed, such as agrarian reform, land procurement for National Strategic Projects (PSN) infrastructure, and land tenure security.
On the same occasion, Minister Hartarto also stated that the issue of land mafias would be specifically addressed in several upcoming meetings.
Earlier, Minister AHY received a mandate from the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Mar’ruf Amin to promptly resolve various agrarian issues, one is land mafia.Â
The minister admitted that cases of land diversion by mafias pose the biggest challenge. He also requested support from the public so that the responsibilities that are now part of the Ministry of ATR's "homework" in terms of public service can be addressed.