Syiah Kuala University stated that it is ready to actively contribute to being involved in the resolution of four islands, namely Panjang Island, Lipan Island, Mangkir Gadang Island, and Ketek Island, which are part of North Sumatra.
"We are ready to be actively involved in utilizing the expertise possessed by the academic community in the fields of law, government, politics, sociology, and history," said USK Chancellor, Prof. Marwan in Banda Aceh.
He explained that USK is committed to supporting the mediation process and the preparation of recommendations based on scientific principles, objectivity, and academic integrity.
According to him, the issue of territorial ownership, especially concerning administrative boundaries between provinces, not only has an impact on the legal-formal aspect, but also has broad implications for political aspects, governance and social life of the community.
From a political perspective, it has the potential to cause tension between the two regions of Aceh and North Sumatra, which could open up space for regional political rivalry.
According to him, this situation could develop into a sensitive issue of identity and history, thus increasing the potential for social disintegration and reducing the legitimacy of the central government, especially in the eyes of the Acehnese people as a region with special autonomy status.
Furthermore, from a governance aspect, overlapping administrative claims over the four islands can cause confusion in spatial planning, resource management, and public services.
"This has the potential to hamper development and create legal uncertainty in the area concerned," he said.
Then, sociologically, this situation risks causing horizontal conflict among communities in border areas.
