President's Directive also Applies to Other Law Enforcement Agencies

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

President Joko Widodo prepares to deliver a briefing to high-ranking officers from the National Police Headquarters, the Regional Police Head, and the Indonesian Police Chief at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Friday (10/14/2022).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's directive that officers of the National Police (Polri) not pursue a luxury lifestyle must also be carried out by other law enforcement officers. Institutional and cultural reforms is needed across law enforcement agencies.

"I consider that structurally, the President's directive for the National Police also applies to other law enforcement agencies, even to all government institutions," said Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud M.D. when contacted on Sunday (16/10/2022).

In a briefing of 559 top Polri officials, regional police chiefs and district police chiefs, President Jokowi reminded them to slam the brakes on luxury lifestyles (Kompas, 14/10/2022).

They should not be arbitrary, corrupt, hedonistic, have a luxury lifestyle, or arrogant.

According to Mahfud, law enforcement officers must serve and protect the people. They should not be arbitrary, corrupt, hedonistic, have a luxury lifestyle, or arrogant.

Former chief justice Gayus Lumbuun has also said that institutional and cultural reforms were needed across all law enforcement institutions. Police reform could be the first step for reforming the law and law enforcement as a whole.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Supreme Court Justice Sudrajad Dimyati wears a prison vest after being questioned at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Jakarta, on Friday (23/9/2022).

According to Gayus, one step that could be done is to evaluate all law enforcement agencies. The evaluation could start with Polri to follow up on the President's directive, and then proceed to other law enforcement agencies, including the Prosecutor's Office, the judiciary, and the Corruption Eradication Commission.

Commitment to reform

Mahfud said it was natural that public criticism of the National Police’s performance had been so intense recently. This was because Polri had been hit by a series of scandals that started with the fatal shooting at the official residence of former Polri Profession and Security (Propam) head Ferdy Sambo, followed by the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy in Malang and finally the arrest of Insp. Gen. Teddy Minahasa Putra in connection with a drug trafficking case.

"However, let's also look from the other side. Everything that has happened is actually a decisive step for Polri to reform itself," he said.

According to Mahfud, the response of National Police chief Gen. (Pol) Listyo Sigit Prabowo to the series of events involving the policing institution could even be seen as a form of commitment.

Also read:

> President Warns the Police

> Police Reform Needed

Charles Simabura, a constitutional law lecturer at Andalas University in Padang, noted that the President's directive for Polri to carry out cultural reform, one of which was to avoid pursuing a luxury lifestyle, was a serious order.

“The President wants to show that he is disturbed and is serious about reforming Polri. Moreover, the President has given straight directions to the level of mid-level officers," he said.

AGUIDO ADRI

Narcotics evidence for the Teddy Minahasa case was shown at a press conference at the Central Jakarta Metro Police Headquarters, on Friday (14/10/2022).

According to Charles, the President's directive must be translated into concrete action with clear and measurable stages, and that this cannot exclude constant monitoring. Charles added that this was the role of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, who was also the ex officio chairman of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) or at the very least, the Presidential Staff Office.

In relation to this, Mahfud said he would call on Kompolnas to increase external supervision, including over the lifestyle of Polri officers. Meanwhile, within the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, he would revitalize the Illegal Activities Task Force to pay more attention to reports of suspected extortion and mafia practices among several district police. (DEA/ANA/Z13)

(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo)