Revision Of TNI Bill, Palace: Active TNI Placement At The Ministry Based On Skills

Head of the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) Hasan Nasbi (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Head of the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) Hasan Nasbi stated that the addition of posts to 16 ministries/institutions that can be occupied by active TNI soldiers in the TNI Bill requires expertise and intersecting with the scope of work of the TNI.

Hasan's statement to the media was in response to the revision in the TNI Bill (RUU) which regulates the expansion of the placement of active soldiers from 10 to 16 ministries/agencies.

"Because the positions for the TNI, are not suspended, but locked. The 16 positions are locked which do require their explicitity. They need their expertise and share workspace with their explicitity," Hasan said, quoted by ANTARA.

Although there are additional institutions that can be filled by the TNI, Hasan emphasized that the position has indeed been filled by active TNI soldiers but has not been regulated by law.

In Law Number 34 of 2004 concerning the current TNI, there are only 10 ministries/agencies that can be filled by active soldiers, namely the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Presidential Military Secretariat, the State Intelligence Agency, and the National Cyber and Crypto Agency.

Then, the National Resilience Agency (Lemhannas), the National Defense Council, the National SAR Agency (Basarnas), the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), and the Supreme Court.

Through the TNI Bill, there are six additional new posts that can be held by the active TNI, namely the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), the Attorney General's Office and most recently, namely the National Border Management Agency (BNPP).

"Previously there was no law, now there is. There is to fill the criminal justice room of the Supreme Court, Bakamla. So something like that, the expertis really needs expertis friends from the TNI," Hasan said.

Therefore, Hasan again emphasized that the TNI Bill, which was feared to restore ABRI's dwifunction by the community to independent institutions, was not proven.

On the other hand, the government asks the public to continue to criticize and monitor the implementation of the law as part of public supervision.