In his farewell speech on Wednesday, Gen. Sutarman urged acting National Police chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti to bridge the divides separating the police force'€™s different factions.

Sutarman, who was dismissed as National Police chief by President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo last week, said the force should unite against efforts to turn the police into a pawn of political games.

'€œMy friends, the transition to the new leadership of the National Police has created several problems in the public eye, but I hope that the police force will not have to deal with any problems,'€
Sutarman said.

Sutarman added he had no qualms about leaving the police force on such short notice.

'€œI have always sincerely nurtured and prepared my brothers to one day replace me, as I was always ready to be replaced,'€ he said.

Sutarman advised Badrodi to uphold the principle that the police force should stand above politics.

Jokowi dismissed Sutarman last Friday after postponing the inauguration of his replacement, Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, who was declared a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) a day after Jokowi requested that the House of Representatives endorse his nomination.

Since the dismissal of Sutarman, who was set to retire in October this year, rumors of infighting in the force have begun to circulate.

As if to confirm the rumors of an emerging rift, soon after the dismissal of Sutarman, police leadership moved to fire National Police detective division chief Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius, who has been moved to a different division.

Although Jokowi declined to disclose the reasons behind the two dismissals, speculation was rife that the pair had provided evidence to the KPK related to Budi'€™s alleged misdeeds.

Nevertheless, Sutarman affirmed his loyalty to Jokowi.

'€œI am 100 percent loyal to the President, no matter what he decides. He offered me several positions, but I told him that I would like to take it slow and enjoy the rest of my years. I told the President that I will go help my father with his farm,'€ he said with a chuckle.

Sutarman also said he had not returned to National Police headquarters since his dismissal and would not visit before his official retirement in October.

'€œI have promised my family I will never get involved in government or in politics again. I think 34 years in the government has been enough,'€ he said.

The 57-year-old Sutarman, who once served as head of the police detective division, served only a brief stint as National Police chief.

He was sworn in as chief in October 2013, replacing former National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo.

Sutarman has been widely credited for keeping the police force independent during last year'€™s legislative and presidential elections and maintaining order during the brittle, divisive period.

Although he held various key positions before becoming police chief '€” such as police chief of West Java and Jakarta between 2010 and 2011 '€” Sutarman has always spoken openly about his humble beginnings in Sukoharjo, Central Java.

Separately, Badrodin told reporters he was grateful that Sutarman trusted him to lead the police force until the inauguration of the new police chief.

'€œHe was firm and was a true leader whom we should all follow. We were all protected by him while we conducted our duties,'€ he said.

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