Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo would not reinstate dwifungsi.

“After reforms, the TNI has become a professional institution,” he told journalists during a discussion on Friday at the Presidential Office.

After living with the New Order regime, which allowed the military to have a tight grip on politics and business, the country began to reform after its fall in 1998.

Active military officers are now confined to barracks, as they are banned from running in elections and being involved in politics or business.

TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto made in January a surprise move by demanding that active military officers take on more civilian roles in government institutions to address overstaffing issues that left middle and high ranking officers without jobs.

The plan would require an amendment to the 2004 Law on the TNI because the prevailing law does not allow TNI members to be involved in civil service or political activities.

President Jokowi agreed to provide officers with more civilian posts to solve the overstaffing issue.

The plan was widely criticized by military reform icons and rights activists who argued it would take the country back to a time before the Reform Era.

The dispute culminated with the arrest and charging of Robertus Robet, a lecturer from Jakarta State University (UNJ) and former activist that participated in 1998 rallies that led to the downfall of Soeharto.

During a rally on Feb. 28, he sang an old march song that criticized the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI), the name of the military during the New Order era. The march was often sung during the 1998 protests.

Robertus was named a suspect and charged under Article 207 of the Criminal Code for insulting those in power or legal institutions.

Moeldoko, who was a TNI commander during the administration of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and later briefly under Jokowi, said the government appreciated criticism from the public because it was “a form of respect for democracy”.

“But please don’t let the criticism result in something that goes against the law,” he said.

Moeldoko also explained that the 2004 law on the TNI allowed military officers to hold posts in 10 institutions.

The institutions are the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, the Defense Ministry, the office of the Military Secretary for the President, the National Intelligence Agency, the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN), the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas), the National Defense Council (Wantannas), the National Search and Rescue Agency, the National Narcotics Agency and the Supreme Court.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who is also a retired military general, supported Jokowi’s plan, saying that he would avail some posts at his office.

Responding to Moeldoko’s statements, University of Indonesia defense expert Edy Prasetyono said the Jokowi administration had shown a commitment to military reforms.

He further said that active military officers were not allowed to hold leading positions at any of the 10 civil bodies, though regular posts were allowed.

“Some people still have a different perception about it as they think that TNI officers working at government institutions is a return to the dual function,” Edy said.

Another military expert, Khairul Fahmi from the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS), said Moeldoko’s statements were only wordplay.

“His statement is more of a one-sided claim that could fall apart if it meets facts and reality,” he told the Post.

Khairul argued that military officers holding positions in civil service institutions would affect policy-making.

“They are also involved in program development and budget arrangement. Aren’t they part of the political process?” he added. (das)

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