Colonel Retired's Tragic Fate: Appointed As Official, But Not Recognized By The State

Rusnawi's attorney, Rendi Rumapea (Ist)

MATARAM Dr Rusnawi, a retired Indonesian Air Force officer with the rank of Colonel, is facing a bitter fate after being declared qualified and inaugurated as Head of the West Nusa Tenggara Province National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Representative in April 2020.

Instead of stepping into the peak of his new civilian career, he was actually caught in a complicated situation, after it was discovered that his employment number was not registered with the State Civil Service Agency (BKN).

The impact is no joke. Rusnawi cannot receive salaries or job allowances. Worse yet, his appointment status as a public official is declared invalid. This situation not only shook his legal position, but also made him socially and economically slumped.

Rusnawi's attorney, Rendi Rumapea, explained that his client had gone through all the selection processes officially and transparently. He attended the selection stage of the Head of the NTB BKKBN, passed in March 2020, and was officially inaugurated in April of the same year.

However, recently, a new decree emerged stating that his appointment was invalid, arguing that the initial decree (SK) and Employee Identification Number (NIP) used were not officially registered at BKN.

According to Rendi, this situation indicates that Rusnawi is a victim of fake documents. He revealed that the employment number that should have been inputted into the BKN system seemed to be made haphazardly, unverified, and never registered in the state's official system.

What exacerbates the situation, Rusnawi has proposed an early retirement from military service in order to serve in the BKKBN environment. After the appointment and inauguration, he was abandoned without clarity on his legal or administrative status.

There is no adequate protection from the relevant institutions, while all risks due to system failure are fully borne by himself.

"Our client is currently losing his way and living. Since 2020, he has not had a permanent job, does not receive a salary or allowance, and there is no certainty from any agency. Even the various legal remedies that we have taken have not provided tangible results," said Rendi.

Furthermore, Rendi stated that his party had won a lawsuit at the Supreme Court which had permanent legal force (inkracht). In fact, according to him, there has been a direct order from the President to resolve this issue. However, all of this is still ignored by the relevant parties.

It did not stop there, Rendi also emphasized that his party had reported the alleged falsification of documents to the police. The report was filed on November 26, 2024, on the legal basis of Article 264 of the Criminal Code concerning document falsification. The person who was reported was an individual who allegedly made a fake NIP and signed a decree for the appointment of Rusnawi.

This case highlights serious problems in the personnel administration system in Indonesia. When an individual has carried out all the procedures officially but eventually becomes a victim of bureaucratic negligence and forgery, it not only tarnishes the good name of the institution, but also injures public justice.

Rusnawi's family and their attorneys now only hope that state institutions, especially BKKBN, BKN, and law enforcement officers, can take a firm and responsible stance on resolving this issue. They asked that Rusnawi's rights be restored and that justice be upheld as fairly as possible.