President Prabowo Subianto appointed Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat — a prominent labour union leader and former activist — as Indonesia’s new environment minister, replacing Hanif Faisol Nurofiq. Hanif has been reassigned as deputy minister at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs after leading investigations that resulted in permit revocations for 28 firms linked to environmental damage. The probes covered damage that worsened deadly floods in northern Sumatra and a radioactive contamination case near Jakarta that affected U.S. exports. The reshuffle also installed Muhammad Qodari as communications chief and Dudung Abdurachman as presidential chief of staff.
Labour Union Leader Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat Appointed Indonesia’s Environment Minister
Indonesia’s newly appointed Minister of Environment, Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat, chief of All-Indonesia Workers' Union Confederation, speaks to media after his inauguration at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
President Prabowo Subianto has named Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat, a veteran labour union leader, as Indonesia’s new minister of environment, the presidential palace said on Monday. Jumhur succeeds Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, who has been reassigned to serve as deputy minister at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs.
Jumhur, head of the All-Indonesia Workers' Union Confederation, rose to prominence during mass protests against former President Suharto in the 1990s and has remained an influential figure in the labour movement. In 2021 he was sentenced to 10 months in prison for actions described by authorities as attempting to stir unrest. He also publicly backed Prabowo’s rival during the 2024 presidential election.
Hanif, a former career bureaucrat, served as environment minister for eighteen months and led a number of high-profile environmental probes. His tenure included civil lawsuits against companies accused of causing extensive ecological damage that exacerbated severe floods in northern Sumatra late last year — a disaster that left at least 1,200 people dead — and the revocation of permits for 28 firms found responsible for that damage.
The ministry under Hanif also handled a case of radioactive contamination at a large industrial zone near Jakarta, a problem that disrupted some exports to the United States, and opened an investigation into alleged rainwater mismanagement at a West Java integrated resort that includes a Trump Organization golf course.
The cabinet reshuffle additionally appointed Muhammad Qodari as head of the government communications office and former army chief Dudung Abdurachman as presidential chief of staff. Observers say Jumhur’s appointment introduces a new dynamic to environmental policymaking, raising questions about how a labour leader will balance worker advocacy with strict enforcement of environmental rules.
What To Watch: Whether the new minister continues legal and regulatory actions against polluting firms, and how the government reconciles economic, labour and environmental priorities.
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