Indonesian president Prabowo steps in to resolve Aceh-North Sumatra Islands dispute
The islands - Pulau Mangkir Gadang, Pulau Mangkir Ketek, Pulau Lipan, and Pulau Panjang - became the subject of a controversy after the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a decree in April 2025 formalising a 2022 decision to reassign them from Aceh Singkil to Central Tapanuli in North Sumatra.
The move triggered protests from Acehnese communities and civil groups, including the Aceh Students' Association of Greater Jakarta, who called for the decree to be revoked and for the ministry to acknowledge what they claimed was an administrative error.
Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, also known as Mualem, argued that the islands had long belonged to Aceh based on historical and administrative records, and suggested that the dispute might be linked to offshore resource interests.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, confirmed on Saturday via a statement to local media that President Prabowo had agreed to address the issue personally.
"The president has taken over the matter of the islands' boundary dispute,' said Sufmi, a close confidant of Prabowo, as quoted by national news agency Antara.
He added that a decision is expected next week.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian defended the reclassification, emphasising that historical records indicate the dispute over the islands had existed since 1928.
While acknowledging the dissatisfaction among some quarters, he noted that legal avenues such as the Administrative Court (Pengadilan Tata Usaha Negara, or PTUN) remain available.
Earlier this month, North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution visited Aceh to discuss a collaborative approach to managing the islands, including opportunities for tourism and other areas of joint economic development.
Mualem, a former commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), welcomed Bobby but delegated further talks to provincial officials due to prior engagements in Southwest Aceh.
The dispute has reopened old wounds regarding longstanding issues in Aceh, a province with special autonomous status, where matters related to governance and territorial boundaries remain sensitive despite a 2005 peace agreement. - Bernama
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