The Fast-Tracked Oil and Gas Bill
The House of Representatives revived a long-stalled revision of the Oil and Gas Law.
In a House of Representatives Commission XII hearing involving oil and gas officials on August 26, 2026, Deputy Chair Sugeng Suparwoto unexpectedly halted proceedings. This interruption was followed by the entrance of three House deputy speakers—Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Saan Mustopa, and Sari Yuliati—who promptly took their seats at the leadership table.
Dasco then declared that Commission XII Chair Bambang Patijaya would be replaced by Melchias Markus Mekeng, both of whom are Golkar Party members. Dasco explained that the decision stemmed from a letter received by House leaders on August 18 from the Golkar Faction. Mekeng, who has previously served on Commission XI focused on finance and banking, was not unfamiliar with the House.
Patijaya had been leading Commission XII since November 4, 2024. According to three officials present at the hearing, the change in leadership was tied to ongoing discussions about revisions to Law No. 22/2001 on Oil and Gas, which was influenced by Golkar Party General Chair and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia.
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