Coordinating Minister For Political, Legal And Security Affairs Asks The Police Not To Be Anti-criticism

Menkopolhukam Mahfud MD during the celebration of the 74th Anniversary of the Bhayangkara Corps (Photo: Documentation of the Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Public Relations)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD asked the Police not to be anti-criticism. This was conveyed by Mahfud when commemorating Bhayangkara's 74th Birthday at his office.

"The National Police must continue to be open to criticism, the public should not hesitate to provide input and criticism to the police," Mahfud said in a written statement, Wednesday, July 1.

Even so, Mahfud said, the Police as a state apparatus had a very important position and function. He considered, when the work of the police and other law enforcement officers stopped, the state might fall apart because no one could secure criminal acts.

"Imagine if a police state and its soldiers were stopped for just half an hour, the country could be disbanded. No one can secure it and people can act brutally, seriously criminalize and act of terror," he said.

Because the role of the Police is very important, Mahfud asked the public to pay attention to the work of the Bhayangkara Corps. You do this by continuing to provide constructive criticism so that the presence of the police is always maintained.

"That must be corrected, yes, but the Police themselves must be committed to being a servant of the state and a servant of the nation who are ready to protect the Republic of Indonesia," he said.

Previously, Mahfud MD had conveyed that law enforcers, especially the National Police, should not be aggressive in taking legal action related to the spread of hoaxes or fake news.

"The President's message, don't be overly sensible. There is anything being arrested, anything is being tried," Mahfud said while attending an event organized by the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) which was broadcast on YouTube, Tuesday, June 23.

Mahfud is concerned about the many perpetrators who spread hoaxes containing lies and SARA. Even so, the former head of the Constitutional Court (MK) emphasized that there should be no aggressive action by the authorities in handling this problem.

He also considered that not all hoaxes could be dealt with by law. According to him, if the violation committed was only spreading false content, then the perpetrator was sufficiently supervised and there was no need to take excessive legal action.

"There is anything being arrested, there is anything on trial. People want webinars to be banned. No need to. Let us go, said the President. We don't want seminars to keep being slandered. Want a seminar, like it or not, just be watched if it violates outside laws usual, "he concluded.