366 heavy-duty excavators have docked in Merauke to support the national strategic program aimed at developing 1 million hectares of rice fields in South Papua, Papua Province.
The heavy equipment currently available is designated for delivery stages one to six, during which a total of 2,000 excavators will be brought in by the prominent businessman Haji Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad, also known as Haji Isam.
“Haji Isam is very focused on this project. Just look for yourself; he personally monitors all the unloading of equipment. He oversees the unloading of materials for road construction as well. The point is, the boss doesn’t want to miss any part of this project. Every process will be observed and witnessed directly—that’s the boss. He won’t rest until it’s finished,” said Denny Ramdhani, Operations Assistant for the 1 million hectare rice field project in South Papua, in a written statement received on Wednesday.
He explained that on Monday (October 1), 89 heavy equipment units had docked at Wanam Port during the sixth delivery stage, while the previous five delivery stages totaled 277 units. This effort is aimed at accelerating the rice field development process.
To ensure the project’s smooth operation, Jhonlin Group, through its subsidiary PT Batulicin Beton Asphalt (BBA), has constructed a road in Merauke, South Papua. Once again, Haji Isam is leading and directing the infrastructure development process.
The roadwork began at Wanam Point in Ilwayab District, Merauke Regency. The plan is for this road, which will span hundreds of kilometers, to connect four districts: Ilwayab, Kaptel, Ngguti, and Muting.
“Currently, progress stands at around 16.8 kilometers. This is a pioneering road,” explained Deden, Denny Ramdhani’s nickname.
Earlier, Haji Isam and his team conducted a survey to determine the construction points for the road in the four districts. On Friday, August 9, 2024, dozens of heavy equipment units were mobilized to support the road construction work.
This road construction not only supports the million hectare rice field project but is also expected to provide solutions for some areas in Merauke that remain isolated.
That is why Haji Isam has committed to completing the program to create one million hectares of rice fields.
“In my mind, I only think about how the idea of President-elect Mr. Prabowo Subianto can be realized. Whatever it takes to ensure that the 1 million hectares can be achieved successfully within three years, without considering profit and loss,” Haji Isam stated, as quoted on Thursday (August 1, 2024).
“This is a task from the state given to me,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the Food Task Force (Dansatgas) Under the Operational Control (BKO) of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Food Security, Major General TNI Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, explained that Haji Isam had indeed been tasked with the project to create 1 million hectares of rice fields in Merauke. This role was assigned for a specific reason.
According to him, Haji Isam has extensive experience in land clearing projects across various regions.
“Mr. Haji frequently opens land in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and elsewhere. He possesses all the necessary equipment,” he stated in Merauke, South Papua (September 24, 2024).
He also clarified that the rice field project is not a private endeavor, and Haji Isam’s involvement was a direct order from the Minister of Defense and President-elect Prabowo Subianto.
“The issue that has been raised is that it’s a private program because Pak Haji Isam is the one executing it. In fact, Pak Haji Isam received direct orders from Pak Prabowo; he was the one instructed to carry it out. Why was Pak Haji Isam chosen? Because he is from a large company with the experience and equipment to effectively address the challenges,” he said.
