Jakarta – Member of Commission IV DPR who is also chairman of the PKB DPP Daniel Johan believes that President Prabowo Subianto’s declaration not to cut down evil carelessly is a very important direction. Daniel said the state must protect forests and stop illegal logging. “We are very happy that the President immediately pays serious attention to the state of nature and our environment that has been weakened. The President’s statement that says that ‘…we must protect our environment, we must protect nature’ and ‘We must not cut down trees carelessly. I ask all regional heads to be more vigilant, more vigilant. We protect our nature as best as possible’, is said in very important and strong directions of the current report,” Daniel said on Monday. (15/12/2025). According to Daniel, forests must be protected by the state. He said that deforested forests should be reforested immediately. Scroll TO CONTINUE CONTENT “This statement emphasizes that the state should protect forests as best as possible, that there should be no clearing of new forests and forests that have been deforested should be restored through reforestation/reforestation,” he said. Daniel also reminded regions not to issue permits for new concessions. Because, he said, forest destruction has occurred as a result of massive land clearing. “Then regional heads may not issue permits for new concessions because forest damage occurs as a result of massive forest clearing, especially for large-scale purposes, so that hundreds of millions of thousands of hectares are cleared for certain purposes,” he said. Apart from that, Daniel said that the mastermind behind the forest destruction that took place in Aceh and Sumatra should be revealed immediately. So, he said, it is clear what caused the forest destruction that caused the disaster. “The people are waiting for the government to take steps to reveal the mastermind behind the forest destruction that took place in Sumatra and Aceh so that it will be known that forest destruction was caused by what, by whom and for whose interests?” said Daniel. Strive for strengthened surveillance In the future, Daniel is campaigning for stricter forest monitoring. He asked that forest police be strengthened. “In order to ensure that illegal logging does not take place, we must strengthen surveillance in the field. We have Forestry Police that must be strengthened by providing adequate monitoring facilities, the living conditions of forest police officers must be taken into account and then given more authority in terms of surveillance so that our Forestry Police is stronger in carrying out patrols and action in the field,” he explained. “Commission IV continues to encourage our Forestry Police to be strengthened and equipped with adequate equipment, especially now that technology is sophisticated, patrols can be carried out with drones, of course Commission IV will really support the strengthening of surveillance,” he continued. Furthermore, Daniel said that Commission IV of the DPR is currently discussing the revision of the Forestry Act. This review, he said, should be a momentum to tighten regulations on forest conversion. “Currently, Commission IV of the DPR is discussing changes to Law Number 41 of 1999 regarding Forestry, and this should be a momentum to tighten the regulations regarding permits and conversion of forest functions. Revisions of the Law should not allow more room for the opening of forest areas that ignore the carrying capacity of the environment, because the impact and losses always lead to disasters for communities,” he said. Prabowo asks not to cut down trees randomly. President Prabowo Subianto visited Aceh Tamiang and met with residents in refugee camps for flash flood victims last week Friday (12/12). Prabowo invites everyone to protect nature. “We must be alert now, careful, we must protect our environment, we must protect nature,” Prabowo said on Friday (12/12) in front of refugees in Aceh Tamiang. Prabowo said he must not cut down trees carelessly. He asked regional heads to keep a close watch. “We cannot cut down trees carelessly. I ask all regional chiefs to be more vigilant, to be more vigilant. We will protect our nature as best as possible,” he said. (view/image)