PRIME NEWS POST The INDONESIAN (Kalimantan) — Paduka Yang Mulia (PYM) Panglima Gong Pendy Runca, Pangeran Mas Senopati of Pkalimantan and Guardian of Customary Rights & Communities within the Majelis Adat Indonesia (MAI / Indonesian Customary Council), has voiced deep appreciation for President Prabowo Subianto’s swift, decisive and co‑ordinated response to ongoing forest‑and‑land fires (karhutla) across parts of Kalimantan — notably West and Central Kalimantan. For PYM Panglima Gong Pendy Runca, President Prabowo’s decision to go beyond receiving reports and instead travel directly to Kalimantan, lead on‑site briefings, assess conditions first‑hand and unify efforts from central and local governments, the Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police (Polri) stands as an example of state leadership truly responsive to environmental crises and public safety. “We — from the Customary Rights & Communities Assembly under MAI — extend our highest recognition to President Prabowo Subianto. When fires strike directly at people’s lives, nature and customary lands, the President’s presence proves the State stands with them and will never leave communities to face disaster alone,” PYM Panglima Gong Pendy Runca stated. Holding meetings in West Kalimantan before moving to Central Kalimantan underscores that these blazes are a national challenge requiring cross‑sector and cross‑border co‑operation, he said. Crucially, land‑forest fires cannot be reduced simply to putting out flames; impacts ripple across health, safety, livelihoods, transport, air quality, ecosystem integrity and the very existence of indigenous territories. The State Must Defend Forests and Indigenous Peoples As Guardian of Customary Rights Institutions and Communities at MAI, PYM Panglima Gong Pendy Runca stressed that safeguarding Kalimantan’s forests and lands carries strategic weight — these areas are not merely ecological assets but the foundation of customary social life, culture and living space. Solutions must therefore be balanced: accelerate suppression, strengthen prevention, support affected communities and enforce laws firmly against wrongdoing….