General Agus Subiyanto Admits He Doesn't Know His Name Was Proposed By Jokowi As A Candidate For TNI Commander

Candidate for TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto with the wife and chairman of Commission I of the DPR, Meutya Hafid. Photo: Nailin In Saroh/VOI

JAKARTA - TNI General Agus Subiyanto has finished undergoing a fit and proper test as a candidate for the TNI Commander today. Followed by factual verification at his residence on Jalan Canal at Hankam Headquarters, Cipayung, East Jakarta by Commission I of the DPR. "This verification is indeed the requirement before I fit and proper the test, a few days earlier there was an administrative completion, one of which was assets. Today verification is carried out by all friends of Commission I, thank you," said General Agus at his residence, Monday, November 13. Agus was then asked by the media crew whether he already knew he would be appointed by President Joko Widodo as the sole candidate for TNI commander. Agus admitted that he did not know that President Jokowi had proposed his name to replace Admiral Yudo Margono through a presidential letter (Surpres) sent to the Indonesian House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 31. "I also don't know," he said. Even so, the Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) admitted that he was not surprised by the appointment. The reason is, the process of promotion or position has been regulated in each unit. "So indeed all positions are for example, for example from the Pangdam first, if you want to become a Pangdam you have to be a two-star, then you have to be a deputy commander first, because the Pangdam is in charge of territorial units and operations units," explained Agus. "So that if he becomes wakasad already understands what he is doing, of course the policies that must be taken, which may be as an implementing element like Pangdam, he has a possible shortage of training from the selection of personnel so that when he becomes deputy he will understand what is happening below," he added. Then, continued Agus, if you want to become an Army Chief of Staff, you have to be a three-star TNI as a fulfillment of requirements or eligible.

"Including wakasad and so on, which are already three stars. Then if the TNI commander is from the force. So previously there were levels. That's it," said Agus.