The National Police Bill will extend the retirement period of Listyo Sigit Prabowo, the national police reform is chaotic!

DPR RI Commission III Session Discussed National Police Bill

Discussion The draft National Police Law (RUU) has begun to enter the official phase in the DPR. Commission III DPR RI is expected to hold a working meeting with the government on Monday, May 25 as the first step in discussing the revision of police regulations.

The meeting, which took place at 13:00 WIB, was attended by a number of government representatives, namely Minister of State (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa and Minister of Justice (Menkum) Supratman Andi Agtas.

On the agenda, Commission III of the DPR provided a first explanation on the content of the draft law on the national police. The government, through the President’s representatives, is also expected to provide a general view and explanation on the direction of discussions on the bill.

The formation of the Panja is seen as an important first step as the discussion of the National Police Bill is expected to attract public attention. This is understandable, because it exists a number of controversies in the bill, notably concerning the retirement period of members of the national police.

For example, in Draft Article 30 of the Revised National Police Law, it is stated as follows: The retirement age for non-commissioned officers, soldiers and officers was extended from 58 to 60. This policy is not only a matter of technical personnel, but also touches on the direction of regeneration and the internal power structure of the National Police.

As for National Police officers, the retirement age limit is 60 years and can even be increased by 2 additional years if they have specific skills that are really necessary. On the other hand, for functional positions, such as investigators or researchers, the retirement age limit is 65 years.

For senior officers with the rank of four-star general, the duration of retirement is 63 years and can be extended by presidential decree (Keppres) and notification via the DPT.

A number of observers and institutions, such as Amnesty International Indonesia, believe that this regulation could potentially prolong the concentration of positions within the police, as well as slow down the process of regeneration of officers.

The proliferation of mid- and senior-ranking officers, as well as the large number of assignments outside the institution, have not solved the root of the organization’s problems.

Another criticism regarding the impact of the increase in the retirement age is the risk of increasing the burden on the APBN, because the State must cover the salaries and allowances of active staff for longer. The extension of the retirement period is a symbol of the failure of the reforms to be carried out within the National Police.

The happiest is of course National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. Why not, he is expected to retire in May 2027, at the age of 58. If the National Police Bill is officially passed with an extension of the mandate, then Listyo Sigit Prabowo’s retirement period will be even longer.

It is possible that he will serve as national police chief for longer. Listyo is one of this country’s longest-serving national police chiefs. He was appointed National Police Chief on January 27, 2021, meaning Listyo served 5 years and 4 months. During Listyo’s era, the national police were often used as a political tool by the authorities.

So far, there is no indication that Listyo will be removed as National Police Chief, even though under his leadership the National Police institution has been contaminated by political interests. The National Police has became a political campaign tool for the previous president, Joko Widodo.

During Jokowi’s era, the national police were no longer there work for the good of the people, but for the Jokowi family. Until now, Jokowi’s influence is still very strong within the National Police, so don’t be surprised if the Jokowi family has never been touched by the law. ***