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Prabowo Summons Dudung to Palace Over Worsening Forest Fires

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 19, 2026•3 min read

President Prabowo Subianto summoned ministers to the Presidential Palace on Monday (19/10/2026) for a limited meeting addressing widening forest fires.

Key Facts

Rapat terbatas digelar di Istana Kepresidenan, Jakarta, pada Senin (19/10/2026); dijadwalkan dimulai pukul 14.30 WIB.
Pejabat yang dipanggil antara lain Menko Polkam Dudung Abdurachman, Mendagri Tito Karnavian, dan Kepala BPGMN Satyawan Pudyatmoko yang baru dilantik pekan lalu; Wakapolri Komjen Wahyu Hadiningrat, Wamen PANRB Purwadi Arianto, serta KSP Listyo Sigit Prabowo juga tampak hadir.
Dudung akan melaporkan hasil rapat koordinasi yang digelar pagi harinya di Kantor Kemenko Polkam bersama sejumlah menteri dan pimpinan lembaga.
Dudung menyatakan akan meminta arahan Presiden mengenai tindak lanjut penanganan karhutla.
Dudung menyebut pemerintah masih sanggup menangani karhutla sehingga belum ditetapkan sebagai bencana nasional; Malaysia menawarkan bantuan tiga helikopter dan 52 personel.
Kabut asap karhutla telah memicu ratusan ribu kasus ISPA, mengganggu lebih dari 2.000 penerbangan, memaksa sekolah di Sumatera Utara menerapkan pembelajaran jarak jauh, dan memicu peringatan kabut tertinggi Level 3 dari ASEAN.

Announced by Dudung at Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs

Jakarta — President Prabowo Subianto summoned several ministers and officials to the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday (19/10/2026) to hold a limited meeting on handling forest and land fires (karhutla). The summons was announced by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam) Dudung Abdurachman during a press conference at the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs (Kemenko Polkam) office in Jakarta on the same day.

According to Dudung, the meeting was scheduled for 14:30 Western Indonesia Time (WIB). "At 14:30 (WIB), the President will also invite us so that we can further discuss the forest and land fires," Dudung said at the Kemenko Polkam office in Jakarta, Monday (19/10/2026).

Dudung Reports Coordination Meeting Results, Seeks Presidential Directives

Dudung explained that during the meeting, he would report the outcomes of a coordination meeting held earlier that morning with several ministries and agencies. "Regarding the forest fires, I will report the results of my earlier meeting with the ministries to the President," said Dudung.

In addition to reporting on the discussions, Dudung stated he would seek directives from the President regarding follow-up actions for fire handling. "Certainly, there will be further instructions from the President today regarding the forest and land fires," said Dudung. When asked about the possibility of declaring a national disaster status, Dudung did not provide a definitive answer and asked reporters to wait until he finished the meeting at the Palace.

Several Officials Arrive at the Palace

A number of officials were seen arriving at the Presidential Palace on Monday afternoon. In addition to Menko Polkam Dudung Abdurachman, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian and Head of the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency (BPGMN - Badan Pengelola Gambut dan Mangrove Nasional) Satyawan Pudyatmoko, who was inaugurated just last week, were also present.

Deputy Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Wakapolri) Commissioner General (Komjen) Wahyu Hadiningrat, Deputy Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (Wamen PANRB) Purwadi Arianto, and Presidential Chief of Staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo were also seen arriving at the Palace. Head of BPGMN Satyawan Pudyatmoko confirmed the meeting agenda and pledged to deliver the results after the meeting concluded.

Background: Smog Spreads Further

The summons takes place as the impact of the forest and land fires continues to spread. Haze has triggered hundreds of thousands of cases of acute respiratory infections (ISPA - infeksi saluran pernapasan akut), disrupted more than 2,000 flights, and forced schools in North Sumatra to adopt remote learning. ASEAN has even issued its highest Level 3 haze alert.

Prior to attending the meeting with the President, Dudung held a meeting with several ministers and government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Transmigration, the Head of the Government Communications Agency (Bakom - Badan Komunikasi Pemerintah), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN - Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional), the Deputy Minister of Environment, and the Head of the National Reserve Agency. The meeting addressed developments in tackling the forest and land fires as well as a number of prominent political issues.