TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Transmigration Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara responded to the enactment of the revision of the TNI Law by the House of Representatives (DPR). The policy that garnered public rejection was passed by the DPR in a plenary session on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Iftitah, who was the best graduate of the Military Academy in 1999 and chose early retirement in 2019, believes that the enactment of the revision of the TNI Law is not intended to revive the dual function of Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI). Previously, this dual function occurred during the New Order era or the presidency of President Soeharto.
"I ensure that the revision of the TNI Law is not intended to return to the New Order era," said Iftitah at the Ministry of Transmigration on Monday, March 24, 2025. "There are no clauses leading in that direction."
As for Article 47, which allows active military personnel to hold civilian positions in ministries/agencies, according to Iftitah, it is necessary. The politician from the Democratic Party stated that there is nothing to worry about regarding this matter.
"If civilian positions are not held by the military, there would be no expertise," said the former aide-de-camp to the 6th President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. "What is there to worry about? The worry is about their political involvement."
Before the revision, active military personnel in TNI were only allowed to hold civilian positions in 10 ministries/agencies. After the revision, it was expanded to 14 ministries/agencies. In addition to the regulations for these 14 civilian positions, active TNI personnel must retire or resign from military service.
The 14 civilian positions that can be held by TNI personnel under Article 47 of the TNI Law are:
Previously, the revision of the TNI Law was criticized by the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform. Coalition member Ardi Manto Adiputra stated that the results of the TNI Law revision indicate that the DPR and the government tend to give flexibility to the military. "This is a paradigm shift that seeks to reduce civilian supremacy," said Ardi in a teleconference on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
According to him, the purpose of the TNI Law was to limit the role of active military personnel in civilian positions. Therefore, Article 47 paragraph (1) of the TNI Law before the revision stipulated that active military personnel who would hold civilian positions must resign or retire from military service. Then Article 47 paragraph (2) of the TNI Law before the revision provided exceptions for 10 civilian agencies that could be held by military personnel.
However, the DPR and the government revised these provisions. The initial regulation in Article 47 paragraph (1) was removed. Then civilian positions that can be held by military personnel were made into paragraph (1). The DPR and the government also expanded civilian agencies for TNI personnel, from 10 to 14 ministries or agencies.
Ardi is concerned that the expansion of civilian positions will further expand the role of the military and reduce civilian supremacy and democracy. "This is what we call the return of military dual function," said the Director of Imparsial.
Hammam Izzuddin and Andi Adam Faturahman contributed for this article.
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