JakartaPost-March 14
A proposed regulation that potentially allows senior military and police officers to hold civilian positions in the government has drawn criticisms from civil groups, who accused policymakers of allowing the return of New Order Era military dwifungsi (dual function). The Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry is currently preparing a draft of a government regulation (PP) as a derivative regulation of the recently enacted State Civil Apparatus (ASN) Law. The law, which was promulgated last November, originally sought to bring in sweeping changes to how state employees are recruited and managed. The policy also stipulates provisions on better welfare provision for millions of nonpermanent employees currently working in government offices who often receive lower wages. It, however, elicited strong reactions from civil groups after the law introduced new passages allowing active military and police officers to occupy certain civilian positions, with details on the appointment determined in a PP. The ministry started deliberating the key points of the draft regulation with the House of Representatives Commission II overseeing home affairs on Wednesday. They aimed to have the regulation signed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo by April 30. Observers slammed the regulation for potentially facilitating the return of the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) dual function, which granted officers political power and authority to govern beyond their main task of safeguarding national sovereignty, territorial integrity and enforcing law and order. Al Araf, senior researcher of Imparsial, a human rights watchdog, called the PP problematic: “Giving active TNI and National Police an opportunity to [hold civilian position] in the law is wrong and undermines the reform spirit.” Read more at:
