Beware of the Dark Riders in the Agenda for the Reform of the Indonesian National Police Culture

JAKARTA - Coordinator of the Indonesian Raya Youth Front (FPIR), Fauzan Ohorella, emphasized that the agenda of the Police Cultural Reform should not be hijacked by certain political interests that have the potential to damage public trust in the police institution.

According to Fauzan, the reform of the National Police must be directed at fundamental improvements that directly touch the needs of the community.

"Reform of the Polri Culture must lead to the improvement of the service system, the improvement of human resource quality, and the welfare of Polri members, especially Bhabinkamtibmas in the corners. They are the spearhead of the country's security service," Fauzan said in his statement, Monday, February 16.

He assessed that strengthening the capacity and welfare of members in the field was far more important than political narratives that attacked the personal leadership of institutions.

Fauzan also criticized a number of TNI retirees who were considered to often build a tendentious narrative against the National Police.

"That retired people like Gatot Nurmantyo and Soenarko, and others, are very naive. We can imagine, if they lose a vehicle or something, they will report to the Polsek, not to Said Didu or Abraham Samad," Fauzan said sarcastically.

According to him, statements that attack the National Police in general are counterproductive and have the potential to weaken national security stability.

Meanwhile, another source, Habib Syakur Ali Mahdi, assessed that there was a structured pattern of attacks against National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. He said the pattern had similarities with the attack previously directed at the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.

Habib Syakur suspected that the issue of police reform was being ridden by a group of former supporters of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) who, according to him, still had political disappointment and revenge against the government and the National Police institution.

"Verbal attacks on General Listyo are very uniform with the pattern of attacking President Joko Widodo. This is not constructive criticism, but a systematic framing," said Habib Syakur.

FPIR emphasized that criticism of state institutions remains part of democracy. However, criticism must be delivered objectively and constructively, not with a narrative that leads to the delegitimization of institutions.

Fauzan also invited all elements of the nation to maintain national stability and support the Police Culture Reform which is oriented towards public service, professionalism, and strengthening internal integrity.

"We believe that if the public is no longer easily provoked, but narratives such as attacking individuals verbally such as Gatot Nurmantyo and Soenarko, can be said to be a moral and ethical crisis." concluded Fauzan.