Concerns grow over military s role in Indonesia as Prabowo appoints officers to civilian posts

JAKARTA - Former general Prabowo Subianto won the Indonesian presidential race in February 2024 after a campaign based on his “gemoy” or cute image showing a softer side that was far removed from his stern military background. But now, just four months since he took office, there are signs that these army links are creeping into his administration.

Several active military officers have been appointed to civilian posts, including senior positions at government ministries and state agencies.

These developments have concerned observers, who fear South-east Asia’s largest democracy may be slipping back into dwifungsi, a dual-function system in which the military had civilian roles, which was abolished following the country’s 1998 reforms.

Article 47 of the military (TNI) law of 2004 stipulates that active military officers can fill only high-ranking positions in just 10 government institutions, mainly those related to security and defence, including the Defence Ministry, State Intelligence Agency, National Search and Rescue Agency, and the National Narcotics Agency.

But a string of appointments made by the new President has breached this rule.

On his first official day as president, Mr Prabowo appointed his personal assistant, Major Teddy Indra Wijaya, an active military officer, as Cabinet secretary. The latter’s official task is to advise the President on the day-to-day running of the government and remove any policy obstacles. This position is not on the list of permissible posts for active military officers.

Similarly, on Feb 7, Major-General Novi Helmy, an aide to the armed forces general, was appointed as the head of national food agency Bulog. His task is to ensure an ample domestic supply of staple foods such as rice, flour and corn, and to help maintain stable prices nationwide.

Other recent appointments that have breached the TNI law include the appointments of Major-General Maryono as the head