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House to resume TNI Law revision
President Prabowo Subianto has sent a presidential letter (Surpres) stipulating the appointment of the government's representative for the deliberation of the 2004 Military Law revision, which was read during a plenary session on Tuesday.
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Resolute: Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers attend a ministerial handover ceremony at the Defense Ministry office in Jakarta on Oct. 22, 2024. (AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
T
he House of Representatives will continue the revision to the 2004 Military Law, a move observers have criticized for potentially extending the scope of the Indonesian Military (TNI) to civilian affairs.
After opening the plenary session on Tuesday, House deputy speaker Adies Kadir of the Golkar Party told lawmakers that the legislature’s speakership had received a presidential letter (Surpres) dated Feb. 13 mandating the appointment of the government’s representatives in the deliberation of the Military Law revision.
“We are asking for your approval to include the bill in the 2025 Prolegnas priority list,” Adies said, referring to the acronym of the National Legislation Program of prioritized bills to be deliberated by the House this year.
Adies’ request was welcomed by approval by lawmakers. The deputy speaker then asked for the House members’ approval to assign the deliberation for the law revision to Commission I overseeing military and foreign affairs, which was also immediately approved by the attending lawmakers.
A plan to revise the 2004 law has surfaced since last year, with the amendment expected to focus on, among other issues, the extension of TNI’s non-war authorities to the country’s cyberspace and allowing the appointment of active military personnel in top government jobs.
Critics slammed the revision, arguing that the military would return to influence civilian affairs. The opposition eventually forced the lawmakers to halt deliberations on the bill.
Read also: Concerns mount over Prabowo’s reliance on military in civilian affairs
