Maruli Simanjuntak Responds To His Presumption Of Being A Kostrad Commander Because He Is Close To The Palace And Luhut Pandjaitan's Son-in-law

DENPASAR - Military Commander IX/Udayana Major General (Mayjen) TNI Maruli Simanjuntak has been selected as Commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Pangkostrad). Maruli responded to the assumption that a number of parties who called himself elected as Pangkostrad because he was close to the Palace also had the status of Luhut Pandjaitan's son-in-law.

"What's wrong if I'm near (the palace)? It's not me that lifts me up. So I frankly (personally) know exactly how the President (Jokowi) works, I happen to have been with him for many years," Maruli Simanjuntak told reporters in Denpasar, Bali.

"I think if I have to talk about my position to him (President). I can't bear it anymore, seeing how he works.

So I don't really have a single word what I want to be. I was given to the Udayana Regional Military Commander, I didn't know before. I didn't even know if I wanted to be Pangkostrad. I've never spoken to say that, so if there is a response like that, please feel free. I just work," said Maruli.

He also responded to allegations that he was chosen because he was the son-in-law of Luhut Pandjaitan, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

"I also refuse to relate (to Luhut Binsar Panjaitan) how about trying? We are not like that, I also think why should we want a high responsibility, big responsibility, doing things like that. I have to go through again, rearrange and all sorts. I personally enjoy the sunset in Bali, yesterday I lost five days of sunset, right," said Maruli.

He hopes that all parties evaluate the election of the Kostrad Commander without being imbued with political allegations.

“My advice is if you want to be an observer, pay close attention to how the track record is, so that when you talk about it you feel good. But if you look at it from afar, oh well, never mind it's really close. So my advice is to monitor the track record, what kind of child is this, or maybe a survey of many members of how, what he does, how he is. So, that's just an observer," said Maruli.