Lemhanas Suggests Police To Place Under Ministry, DPR: Not A Simple Matter, Very Sensitive

JAKARTA - Member of Commission III of the DPR Arsul Sani responded to the proposal to place the National Police under certain ministries, no longer under the direct president.

This was conveyed by the Governor of Lemhanas Agus Widjojo. Agus proposed the establishment of the Ministry of Homeland Security and the National Security Council which would later oversee the National Police institution.

According to Arsul, the transfer of the National Police under the ministry is not an easy matter. Because according to Arsul, a careful concept is needed regarding the proposal which is considered sensitive.

"This is not a simple (problem, ed). This is something very strategic and even very sensitive in my opinion," said Arsul, Monday, January.

Because it is a sensitive issue, the Deputy Speaker of the MPR suggested that the Governor of Lemhanas should convey it to the DPR and the government first, rather than to the public.

"In my opinion, this is inappropriate if it is conveyed to the public first before it is submitted to the president and also the DPR," explained Arsul.

Previously, Agus Widjojo in his statement said that the Ministry of Homeland Security would oversee the National Police. This proposal is based on the results of an internal study at Lemhanas.

He said that so far security issues have been included in the portfolio of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri). However, Lemhanas assesses that the burden on the ministry is too much so that it is necessary to form a Ministry of Homeland Security.

Agus stated that this proposal was only a discourse and had not been officially proposed to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). But, he considered, the Police as an operational institution should not be able to formulate its own policies.

"To realize security and order, there needs to be law enforcement, namely the National Police. It should be placed under one ministry, and the National Police like the TNI, an operational institution. Operations must be formulated at the ministerial level by a political institution, from which policy formulations are made, defense by TNI, and security and order by the Police," said Agus.