House of Representatives Criticizes 500 Battalion Development Plan: National Resilience Begins in People's Hearts, Not in Barracks

ILLUSTRATION/DOC. VOI

JAKARTA - Nurhadi, a member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR), criticized the plan to build 500 new battalions to support national priority programs. He believes the discourse is a mistake amidst the many fundamental problems in the health and food sectors.

"I believe the much-hyped plan to build 500 battalions is flawed in its prioritization. This country still faces problems of malnutrition, stunting, and unequal access to food. Then, suddenly, the people are presented with the discourse of forming new battalions as if it were the solution to all problems," Nurhadi said on Wednesday, August 27.

"I emphasize that national resilience begins in the people's stomachs, not in military barracks," he continued.

Nurhadi also warned that allocating a large budget for the construction of battalions could potentially erode funding for more pressing social programs, such as the National Food Security Program (MBG) to meet the nutritional needs of children and pregnant women.

"If the government allocates large funds every year for 100 battalions, it will erode the social budget. This means strategic programs like the Free Nutritious Meal Program, which is a real need for the nation's children, could be marginalized," said Nurhadi.

"What's the point of talking about food self-sufficiency if children still go to school with empty stomachs?" he added.

Nurhadi then demanded full transparency from the government regarding the budget plan for the 500 battalion formation project. "How many trillions will be spent to build new battalions? Are the people guaranteed to continue receiving nutritional rations, or will they have to be sacrificed for elitist and symbolic projects?" he asserted.

The member of the House of Representatives commission, which partners with the National Nutrition Agency, also emphasized the importance of re-understanding the essence of national security.

According to Nurhadi, national security is not just about military defense, but also includes ensuring the basic needs of the people.

"Don't misunderstand security. The people don't need soldiers in the rice paddies or fields; they need nutritious food on their dinner tables. True security is when toddlers are no longer stunted, when schoolchildren are able to learn with healthy bodies, and when pregnant women are not malnourished," he explained.

Nurhadi also urged the government to re-evaluate the direction of national development policies and ensure that fulfilling the people's nutritional needs is a top priority.

"Therefore, I emphasize that the government must correct its priorities. Don't sacrifice nutrition programs for the sake of building battalions. If we truly want to talk about national resilience, then the people's nutritional resilience must be the first and foremost foundation," he stressed.

For information, the government is targeting the development of 500 territorial development battalions within five years across Indonesia to accelerate national priority programs promoted by President Prabowo Subianto. These programs include food security and Free Nutritious Meals.

The Territorial Development Infantry Battalion (Yonif TP) is a multifunctional military unit designed by the Indonesian Ministry of Defense to strengthen national defense while supporting the development of strategic sectors such as food, health, and energy.

According to information from the Ministry of Defense, the formation of the 500 battalions will receive budget support from the Ministry of Finance. A total of 100 development battalions will be formed annually.