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March 13, 2025 | 12:38 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Maruli Simanjuntak dismisses the concerns over the New Order (Orde Baru) resurgence following the TNI Bill discussion as naive, claiming the issue is raised to attack the military institution.
"These thinkings, of the New Order (resurgence), of how the military is only capable of killing or being killed, are naive, in my opinion,” he said in an official statement received by Tempo on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
As many active soldiers hold civilian posts, the Indonesian public is fearing the reemergence of New Order-style leadership. But Maruli dismisses the concern, as he deems the involvement of military personnel in civil posts to be based on their competencies. "We believe the members of the Indonesian Army have potential," said the four-star general.
Maruli ensures that the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) will heed the state’s order and the law, including those ruling the matters of active soldiers in civilian posts. It can be discussed, he said, but again urging the public to avoid “attacking the military institution.”
Previously, the Deputy Director of Imparsial, Hussein Ahmad, underscored the excessive participation of active soldiers in Prabowo’s administration. He likened the situation to that of the New Order regime.
"The excuses are exactly like the New Order. When asked why governors, regents, mayors, and ministers should be tapped from the military, they answered it’s for the sake of national defense,” Hussein told Tempo last month.
Student Chief of Trisakti University Faiz Nabawi also questioned President Prabowo Subianto's decision to appoint a number of active TNI and Polri officers to hold positions in ministries and government agencies.
"This reflects how Prabowo remained trapped in a romanticized idea of the New Order, which neglects civil supremacy,” he said in a written statement on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
Hammam Izzuddin and M Raihan Muzakki also contributed to the writing of this article.
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