DPR RI Commission I: After Being Directly Under The President, BIN Must Be Strengthened

National Intelligence Agency (BIN) symbol (Photo: Instagram @binofficial_ri)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission I DPR RI Abdul Kadir Karding asked the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to be strengthened institutionally, institutionally, and after being directly under the President according to Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 73 of 2020.

"I think BIN must strengthen its institutions and institutions, as well as future leadership so that it can become an institution that the state can rely on to anticipate all events and the President can make good decisions based on the data obtained by BIN," Karding told reporters, Monday, July 20. .

This National Awakening Party (PKB) politician appreciated the Presidential Regulation. He considered that President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) decision to remove BIN from the institution coordinated by the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Kemenko Polhukam) was appropriate and needs to be supported.

The Presidential Regulation, continued Karding, is also in accordance with the applicable Law. He added that this law also regulates BIN to coordinate and provide information directly to the President. Reflecting on other countries, every intelligence agency must be directly under the President.

"In some countries the intelligence agency is under the President. CIA in America, SVR in Russia, then JIC in England, is directly under the British Prime Minister," he explained.

"So the presence of BIN outside the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs means it will strengthen its authority and reach. So it is not only in the field of defense politics, but BIN can enter into trade, social, economic and other fields," he added.

In line with Karding, member of Commission I DPR RI Syarief Hasan also supports the Presidential Decree which was signed by Jokowi on 2 July. According to him, it was right for BIN to act as a state institution with a single client.

"BIN should only report to a single client, namely the head of state or the President of the Republic of Indonesia," Syarief told reporters.

He considered that the Presidential Decree No. 73/2020 was a form of strengthening the role and position of BIN as an intelligence agency.

In addition, this Perpres is considered to make BIN easier and more flexible to formulate and implement policies and operations in the intelligence sector because they do not need to coordinate with other institutions.

"So that only the President knows about this to cover the possibility of information leakage," he said.

Moreover, said Syarief, although BIN is no longer under the coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, this institution can still coordinate with other institutions. However, this coordination is not a must.

"Even if we coordinate, it is only based on orders and directives from the President of the Republic of Indonesia," said the politician from the Democratic Party.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) signed Presidential Regulation Number 73 of 2020 concerning the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) is no longer under the coordination of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

Responding to this, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said that he could still request intelligence information directly from the agency even though the agency was no longer coordinated under his ministry.

"Every minister can ask for intelligence information from BIN. As the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, I always get information from the Head of BIN and often ask BIN to give explanations at Kemenko meetings," Mahfud was quoted as saying on his Twitter account @mohmahfudmd.

BIN is directly under the President because state intelligence products are directly needed by the President. But every kemenko can ask BIN for intelligence information. As the coordinating minister for police, law and security affairs, he always gets information from the Head of BIN and often asks BIN to give presentations at the Kemenko meetings.

- Mahfud MD (@mohmahfudmd) July 18, 2020

With the Presidential Regulation 73/2020, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs has the authority to coordinate the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Defense; Ministry of Law and Human Rights; Ministry of Communication and Informatics; Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform; Attorney General's Office; TNI; Police; and other agencies deemed necessary.