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| Foto:Zulkifli Hasan/political Indonesia |
VISTORBELITUNG.COM,Jakarta, Indonesia – A viral "old video" has resurfaced on social media, showing Zulkifli Hasan, now Indonesia's Trade Minister, being grilled by journalists about rampant deforestation in Sumatra. The clip serves as a stark reminder of a different chapter in his political career and the persistent environmental challenges facing the nation.
The footage dates back to his tenure as Minister of Forestry from 2009 to 2014 under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. During this period, Indonesia faced intense international and domestic pressure over the high rate of forest loss, particularly on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
In the video, Zulkifli Hasan is seen responding to tough questions about illegal logging, forest encroachment, and the conversion of vast peatland and forest areas into palm oil plantations. These issues were primary drivers of the annual haze crisis that blanketed parts of Southeast Asia.
At the time, environmental activists frequently criticized his leadership, arguing that the ministry's policies were insufficient to curb the destruction. They pointed to complex and often weak law enforcement against powerful corporate actors, as well as the challenges of managing forests in a decentralized government system. His responses in such press conferences were often viewed by critics as defensive or downplaying the severity of the crisis.
Contrary to what some might assume from the video, Zulkifli Hasan no longer holds the forestry portfolio. The ministry itself has undergone a significant transformation.
In President Joko Widodo's administration, the forestry sector was merged with environmental affairs to create the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). This restructuring aimed to better integrate conservation and sustainable development goals.
Zulkifli Hasan's career has since taken different paths:
· 2021 - 2024: He served as Minister of Agraria and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN).
· 2024 - Present: He was appointed as Minister of Trade in the current "Indonesia Maju" cabinet.
The responsibility for addressing the very issues he was questioned about in the old video now falls under KLHK, led by Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar.
The resurgence of this video highlights a continuous thread in Indonesian governance: the difficult balance between economic development and environmental preservation. While the faces in ministry buildings change, the core challenges of deforestation, land rights, and sustainable management remain.
The video of Minister Zulkifli Hasan is more than a mere memory; it is a historical snapshot of a critical and ongoing national debate. It underscores that the questions asked a decade ago about the forests of Sumatra are, in many ways, still relevant today, even if they are now directed at a different minister and a restructured ministry.