InfoSAWIT, BOGOR – Indonesia’s proposed Agrarian Reform Bill is entering a key stage in the House of Representatives, with the draft legislation drawing attention over how it would address land conflicts, former plantation concessions and the position of plantation workers.
The House of Representatives’ Legislative Body, or Baleg, formed a working committee (Panja) in September 2026 to discuss the bill with the government. For the palm oil sector, the proposed legislation could have implications for communities, smallholders and plantation companies involved in longstanding land disputes.
Sawit Watch Executive Director Achmad Surambo said several provisions in the draft need further clarification to ensure agrarian reform can address actual land tenure and redistribution issues rather than focusing mainly on administrative procedures.
One issue concerns the proposed objects of agrarian reform. Article 30 of the draft reportedly includes former Cultivation Rights (HGU) land and areas involved in conflicts with corporations as potential objects of agrarian reform.
However, Sawit Watch has raised concerns over a provision requiring 20 consecutive years of land occupation. Surambo said the requirement could be difficult to reconcile with the realities faced by communities involved in agrarian conflicts.
He also called for the draft to be aligned with developments following Constitutional Court Decision No. 181/PUU-XXII/2024, which provides conditional protection for communities that have lived for generations in forest areas and conduct activities not intended for commercial purposes.
Another concern involves Article 44 and the wording concerning “other rights in accordance with statutory provisions.” Sawit Watch has called for clearer limits to prevent interpretations that could disadvantage farmers.
The organization also highlighted the proposed institutional requirements for groups seeking recognition under agrarian reform. According to Surambo, overly formal requirements could make it harder for communities working at the grassroots level to pursue land rights.
Plantation Workers Seek Recognition
The draft has also triggered discussion over whether plantation workers should be recognized as subjects of agrarian reform.
Zidane, a plantation labor specialist at Sawit Watch, said discussions on agrarian reform have traditionally focused on landowning farmers and indigenous communities, while plantation workers—including local and migrant workers—have received less attention.
He called for Article 33(4)(i) to be clarified so plantation workers can be included among groups eligible under the agrarian reform framework.
Dianto Arifin of the Central Kalimantan Palm Oil Workers Union (SEPASI Kalteng) expressed a similar view, arguing that plantation workers should be considered in land redistribution because their livelihoods are directly connected to plantation areas.
Yublina Oematan, chairwoman of the West Kalimantan Federation of Palm Oil Plantation Workers Unions (FSBKS), also argued that workers should not always be viewed solely as wage earners. In some cases, workers may have historical links to land that later came under plantation company control.
The proposed legislation therefore remains closely watched by the palm oil sector, particularly provisions covering former HGU land, agrarian conflicts, land redistribution and the groups eligible to receive recognition under the reform framework. (T2)
Source: InfoSAWIT
