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View all search resultsMilitary training for civil servants draws mixed reactions
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Loyalty to the state: Civil servants attend a ceremony to mark National Education Day on May 2, 2023, at Tegar Beriman Square in Cibinong, Bogor regency, West Java. (Antara/Yulius Satria Wijaya)
T
he government’s plan to provide military training for thousands of civil servants has sparked mixed reactions among the public and analysts, with some praising the policy’s efficiency while others question its relevance amid evolving patterns of modern warfare.
Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin announced the plan during a national defense retreat for the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) over the weekend, saying that approximately 4,000 state civil apparatus (ASN) from ministries and government institutions in Jakarta will be trained to be military reservists.
“We [will] start training the civil servants in the first half of 2026 and concentrate on those from ministries for the first semester,” Sjafrie told members of the PWI at an event at the ministry’s Human Resources Development Agency in Cibodas, Bogor on Saturday, as quoted by Antara.
Those receiving the training will be in the age range of 18 to 35 years and will undergo basic military training conducted in stages, the minister said, adding that the program aims to foster nationalism and a stronger sense of service to the country.
“We're dividing it into quarterly training sessions so that by the first semester [of 2026], we already have a sizable reserve component,” Sjafrie said. “That's how the nation will defend itself.”
Upon completing the training, participants will return to their respective offices. Sjafrie stressed that the civil servants would not replace the Indonesian Military (TNI) in carrying out core national defense duties.
Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rico Ricardo Sirait told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the training would likely start in April, but details of the program and quota for each participating government institution were still under development.
