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Rise in military, police involvement in civil governance draws scrutiny
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Insp. Gen. Mohammad Iqbal was officially sworn in as the new secretary-general of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) during an inauguration ceremony at Senayan's Parliament Complex in Jakarta, on May 19, 2025. (Antara/Dhemas Reviyanto)
T
he growing presence of active police and military officers in executive and legislative posts under President Prabowo Subianto has sparked concerns among analysts, who warn that the trend signals a shift away from Indonesia’s post-Reform commitment to civilian supremacy in governance.
Since President Prabowo took office in October, the government has increasingly tapped the security forces to fill senior bureaucratic roles, reviving concerns about the erosion of reforms that once sought to dismantle their involvement in civilian affairs.
The most recent flashpoint came with the appointment of Insp. Gen. Mohammad Iqbal, an active-duty police officer, as secretary-general of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) on Monday. He served as the Riau police chief since 2021, before being reassigned to a strategic post at the National Police’s Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam) in March of this year.
DPD chairman Sultan Baktiar Najamudin noted that Iqbal’s appointment was part of normal “organizational refreshment” and that Iqbal’s repertoire as a police officer speaks to his credibility.
However, critics say the appointment violates prevailing laws on the Police and the Legislative Institution (MD3).
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Lucius Karus, a researcher at the legislative watchdog the Indonesian Parliament Watch (Formappi), noted that the MD3 Law stipulates that secretaries-general of parliamentary bodies must be filled by civil servants.
