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View all search resultsPolice bill slammed over potential expansion into civilian roles
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Police officers march during a ceremony on July 1, 2024, to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the National Police at the National Monument (Monas) Square in Central Jakarta. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
T
he proposed revision to the National Police Law has drawn criticism from activists and analysts, who warned that it could legitimize the controversial placement of officers in civilian posts and further expand police influence beyond policing.
The House of Representatives earlier this week started the process to revise the law, following the finalization of the House-initiated draft revision, which includes “clearer and tighter rules” aimed at restricting the assignment of active-duty police officers to additional roles outside the police institution.
The proposed changes, according to lawmaker Habiburokhman of President Prabowo Subianto’s Gerindra Party, are aimed at creating “a modern, humane, professional and credible police force” and draw in part on recommendations from the government-sanctioned police reform commission.
Asked about how far the restrictions should go, commission chair Jimly Asshiddiqie reiterated the need for strict limits on the placement of officers in civilian posts, but stressed that the commission had left the details to policymakers to decide.
“The exact number and which posts are eligible for such deployment are for the government and the House to decide in the revisions’ deliberations,” Jimly, a former Constitutional Court chief justice, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
But critics warned that the police law revision would instead legitimize the deployment of officers to civilian posts, a practice that has been common under the current administration despite the prevailing version of the law prohibiting active-duty officers from holding additional government posts.
Article 28 of the law says that officers must resign or retire from the service before taking on positions outside the force. But the draft revision to the law introduces a new provision granting an exemption for positions deemed “related to police functions, duties and authority”.
