PALMOILMAGAZINE, TANA TIDUNG — The signing of an addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Koperasi Usaha Bersama Plasma Menjelutung Perdana Lestari (KUB PMPL) and plantation company PT Pipit Citra Perdana (PT PCP) has drawn criticism from within the cooperative’s own management. The concern arises because the signing was carried out without prior deliberation and without the knowledge of other board members — including the deputy chair, secretary, treasurer, supervisory board, and plasma cooperative members.
KUB PMPL Secretary Ares Wahyudi stated that the draft of the MoU addendum was never circulated to the cooperative’s board members beforehand. “We should have been given the opportunity to study the draft before it was signed. But in reality, the chairman signed it without the approval of the other board members,” Ares told beige-heron-208544.hostingersite.com on Thursday (Oct 30, 2025).
According to Ares, this action violates the principles of transparency and collective decision-making that should guide every cooperative process. “If this kind of procedure is tolerated, major decisions could be made unilaterally without member oversight. The addendum affects many parties — especially plasma smallholders,” he emphasized.
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Information obtained by beige-heron-208544.hostingersite.com indicates that the addendum was signed by the cooperative’s chairman, the village head, and representatives from the Plantation Agency and Trade and Cooperative Office (Perindagkop). However, several board members criticized the move as being too hasty, as the draft was finalized before being properly disseminated and discussed with the cooperative members.
The proposal to amend the cooperation agreement (Perjanjian Kerja Sama or PKS) had actually been initiated since June 28, 2024, and became the subject of discussion across several official forums — including a mediation meeting at the Tana Tidung Deputy Regent’s Office (Oct 2, 2024), a public hearing at the local parliament (DPRD) (Mar 10, 2025), and a profit-sharing presentation (SHU) by PT PCP’s management at Menjelutung Village Hall (May 19, 2025).
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An agreement to revise the cooperation contract was also reaffirmed during a plasma coordination meeting on Oct 24, 2025, attended by cooperative and supervisory board members, the village head, community leaders, and traditional figures of Menjelutung Village. In that meeting, all parties agreed that the addendum was necessary to ensure a fairer and more transparent partnership between KUB PMPL and PT PCP.
However, the unilateral signing has now raised concerns and mistrust among cooperative members. “We’re not against the addendum itself. What we want is an open process, consistent with the cooperative principle — from members, by members, and for members,” Ares concluded. (P2)
