JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto has demonstrated a strong commitment and taken concrete steps to protect the public and the environment from the threat of forest and land fires.
After personally leading the response to forest and land fires in Kalimantan, President Prabowo has now ordered the expansion of integrated response efforts to Sumatra. This swift and measured action underscores the administration’s dedication to delivering concrete, rapid solutions to issues that significantly impact people’s lives.
President Prabowo emphasized that the response must be thorough and comprehensive. Operational needs on the ground must be met immediately to ensure fires are extinguished quickly and do not reignite. He conveyed this after chairing a strategic meeting at the Forest and Land Fire Response Forward Command Post.
“All officials are reporting their requirements, and we are striving to meet them. Every day, we are adding helicopters, equipment, water-drilling rigs—we are fulfilling all logistical needs. So, I hope we can bring the situation under control soon. Looking back at history, we have managed to overcome even worse situations in previous years. Therefore, I am confident we will resolve this quickly,” the President asserted.
The President’s directive was immediately followed by tactical actions on the ground. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya ensured that the President’s order was not merely a guideline but a mandate for comprehensive field execution involving all relevant stakeholders.
“The President wants to ensure the response is carried out thoroughly—not just by receiving reports, but by personally observing and hearing about conditions on the ground, verifying that hotspots are truly extinguished, and ensuring that all decisions made are implemented swiftly, in an integrated manner, and effectively,” said Teddy.
Beyond focusing on extinguishing the fires, the government is also ensuring impartial law enforcement. Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi emphasized that, in accordance with the President’s directive, the government would not hesitate to take firm action against any party—whether an individual or a corporation—found to have deliberately ignited the fires. “A key point emphasized by the President—and shared by us all—is that if any criminal acts are discovered involving violations that lead to fires, those responsible must face legal action,” stated Prasetyo.
In line with this, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian has issued Instruction Number 1 of 2026, strictly prohibiting regional heads from clearing land through burning, without exception. The synergy among ministries, the TNI (military) and Polri (police), and local governments, combined with President Prabowo’s firm stance, offers an optimistic outlook that forest and land fires will soon be comprehensively addressed. The government is doing more than just making promises; it continues to deliver concrete actions and comprehensive solutions to ensure the safety and well-being of all Indonesian people, both now and in the future.*