TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsMinister threatens to revoke firms' permits over Sumatra flooding
The Environment Ministry has launched an investigation into several firms suspected of contributing to the devastating disaster across northern Sumatra, while the minister has vowed not to spare any local administrations whose policies led to environmental degradation.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Floodwaters cover a major road and surrounding areas in Aceh Tamiang regency in Aceh on Dec. 4, 2025, a little over a week after Tropical Cyclone Senyar made landfall in northern Sumatra, triggering floods and landslides that have affected around 1.5 million people across 3,310 villages in the province, according to official figures. (Antara/Bayu Pratama S)
E
nvironment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has threatened to revoke the permits of companies whose operations allegedly contributed to last week’s deadly floods and landslides that have wreaked havoc in three provinces across northern Sumatra.
“Starting from the corporate side, today we will begin withdrawing all environmental permits from environmental documents in disaster areas,” Hanif said on Wednesday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
The minister made the remarks following a meeting with House of Representatives Commission XII, which oversees energy and mineral resources, the environment and investments.
One of the areas under government scrutiny is Batang Toru distric in South Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra.
Based on satellite analysis, the activities of eight companies activities had worsened the disaster, Hanif said without revealing their names, adding that seven were registered entities and one was as yet unregistered, but would still be inspected.
The ministry also planned to investigate those companies suspected of causing the disaster and that sanctions would vary, with the revocation of licenses being the most severe, he said.
Hanif emphasized that local administrations would not be spared.
