Governor Of Lemhanas Suggests Police To Be Placed Under The Ministry, Deputy Speaker Of The House Of Representatives: It's Good To Study Before Getting Upset

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad/FOTO IST

JAKARTA - Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad regretted the suggestion that the National Police be included under the Ministry of Homeland Security and National Security.

This proposal was submitted by the Governor of Lemhanas Agus Widjojo in a statement at the end of 2021 some time ago. At that time, Agus proposed the establishment of the Ministry of Homeland Security and the National Security Council.

"I think this matter needs to be studied in depth and it is better to make a study before it is finally thrown out to the public which will cause unnecessary noise," Dasco said, quoted from his written statement, Sunday, January 2.

He assessed that the absence of an in-depth study during the formation of a new institution would confuse a number of parties. So, Dasco believes, a more detailed explanation should first be submitted to the DPR and legislators to find out the urgency of the new ministry or institution.

"A study should be made first and then socialized, especially to lawmakers," he said.

"If it's like this, we are confused, if we ask about the study, we don't know the urgency, nor do we know," added the Daily Chair of the Gerindra Party.

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 National 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.