The appointment of an active Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) officer as Director of Bulog adds to the growing list of violations of Article 47 paragraphs (1) and (2) of Law No. 34 of 2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI Law) during the early months of the Prabowo–Gibran administration. The government’s persistence in assigning military personnel to civilian positions, despite the clear restrictions imposed by the TNI Law, further demonstrates the absence of a genuine commitment to military reform, particularly in ensuring that the TNI remains focused on its constitutional role as the state’s defense institution, as mandated by both the 1945 Constitution and the TNI Law.
The appointment of a TNI officer as Director of Bulog also demonstrates that the government has failed to evaluate the widespread public criticism surrounding the appointment of an active TNI officer as Cabinet Secretary (Seskab), which involved similar legal concerns. Moreover, this issue represents a continuation of practices inherited from the previous administration. Consequently, expectations that the new administration would reverse the regression of military reform experienced during the previous five to ten years have, thus far, remained little more than wishful thinking.
In the case of the appointment of an active TNI officer as Cabinet Secretary, instead of conducting an evaluation based on the provisions of the TNI Law in response to public criticism, the government chose to engage in what can be described as legal maneuvering by amending the regulations governing the institutional structure of the Cabinet Secretariat. Previously, Article 1 paragraph (1) of Presidential Regulation No. 55 of 2020 concerning the Cabinet Secretariat stipulated that the Cabinet Secretariat was directly under and accountable to the President. This structure was subsequently amended through Presidential Regulation No. 148 of 2024 concerning the Ministry of State Secretariat. Under Article 48 paragraph (1) of the new regulation, the Cabinet Secretary is designated as part of the Presidential Military Secretariat (Sesmilpres).
By integrating the position of the Cabinet Secretary into the Presidential Military Secretariat, the government effectively attempted to transfer the legal justification for appointing an active TNI officer as Cabinet Secretary from the legal basis that permits active military personnel to serve within the Presidential Military Secretariat, as provided under Article 47 paragraph (2) of the TNI Law. However, this regulatory amendment does not alter the substantive legal assessment regarding whether the position of Cabinet Secretary is appropriate for active military personnel. It is therefore evident that the regulatory change was not driven by considerations of institutional relevance or genuine necessity.
Through these appointments of active military personnel to civilian offices, the new administration has increasingly expanded the military’s role into civilian affairs beyond the defense sector. Since taking office, the military has been involved in implementing the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, forest area enforcement, and proposals to establish 100 Territorial Development Battalions. These policies contradict the fundamental nature of the military as the state’s defense institution. Applying a defense-oriented paradigm to such civilian matters merely reflects an increasing tendency toward militarism within civilian governance.
The strengthening of militarism in civilian spheres during the early period of the Prabowo administration demonstrates that the character and substance of the military’s historical dual function (dwifungsi) remain deeply embedded. The government increasingly portrays the military as the solution to virtually every development challenge, treating military involvement as synonymous with accelerated national development. This paradigm suggests that government officials continue to regard the New Order model of development—characterized by the dual function of ABRI—as the benchmark for governance. In reality, however, more contemporary governance concepts, including good governance and collaborative governance, provide more appropriate foundations for democratic development.
The increasing involvement of the military in civilian affairs also creates a contradiction for many Indonesians who choose to dedicate themselves to national defense through military service, only to find themselves assigned to functions that properly belong to civilian institutions. As the military becomes increasingly engaged in sectors beyond defense, there is a growing risk that the professionalism of military personnel—including their combat readiness and operational capabilities—will gradually decline.
Media Contacts:
- Ikhsan Yosarie, (Researcher on Human Rights and the Security Sector, SETARA Institute / Lecturer in Government Studies, Universitas Indo Global Mandiri)
- Halili Hasan, (Executive Director, SETARA Institute)