Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni and Minister for Migrant Worker Protection Abdul Kadir Karding have sparked controversy after a photo showing them playing dominoes with a former illegal logging suspect went viral online.
The image, widely circulated on social media, drew criticism from the public, with many questioning the ministers' choice of company.
On Sunday, Raja Juli issued a statement saying he did not know the two other men in the photo apart from Abdul, and insisted there was no discussion of legal cases during the casual gathering.
"I don't know the other two players. There was no talk of any cases at that time," Raja Juli said in a statement.
He added that he only learned afterward that one of the men was Azis Wellang, a businessman previously named as a suspect in an illegal logging case.
Azis was one of three individuals investigated by the Forestry Ministry in Central Kalimantan in November 2024, accused of exploiting 11,500 hectares of forest land without permits.
However, his suspect status was later overturned by the Central Jakarta District Court in December 2024, after he filed a pretrial challenge.
Raja Juli explained that the domino game took place at the office of the South Sulawesi Family Association (KKSS) in Jakarta, where Minister Abdul serves as secretary-general.
He said Abdul invited him to join a casual domino match in the lounge before he left the venue.
In a separate statement, Abdul confirmed the photo was taken on September 1 and said the activity was part of cultural traditions.
"At KKSS gatherings, playing dominoes is a common activity as part of South Sulawesi culture," Abdul said. He also claimed he had no knowledge of Azis's legal background.
The incident comes at a sensitive time, as Indonesia faces growing pressure to strengthen forest protection and crack down on illegal logging, a practice blamed for deforestation and ecological damage across the archipelago.