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February 7, 2025 | 04:47 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto underscored the critical importance of defense for a country, stating that it is enshrined in the preamble of the 1945 Constitution, which outlines the national goal of protecting the entire nation and all of Indonesia.
"The first principle is the principle of protection, meaning the principle of defense," Prabowo said during a speech at the inaugural session of the National Defense Council at the Presidential Palace, Bogor, West Java, on Friday, February 7, 2025.
He noted that there are diverse perspectives in governing a country, starting from those prioritizing ideology to those focused on prosperity.
Among these, he suggested that the realist perspective, which emphasizes the state's fundamental purpose of survival, is most prominent. "The state exists for the purpose of survival," he said.
The President explained that the establishment of the National Defense Council (DPN) was mandated by Article 15 of Law Number 3 of 2002 concerning state defense, but its formation was only realized in 2024, 22 years after the law's enactment. "We now have the DPN in accordance with the mandate of the Law, as mandated by Law number 3 of 2002," he said.
The inaugural session was attended by Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, DPN Chair and Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, and other DPN members.
President Prabowo had previously inaugurated Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as the acting chair of the DPN on Monday, December 16, 2024, through Presidential Decree Number 87 of 2024.
Sjafrie clarified that the DPN's establishment is rooted in the Defense Law, specifically Article 15, which mandates its formation for matters of state sovereignty.
He explained that the DPN will observe all national issues, citing an example of its potential role in regulating forest areas, particularly violations by palm oil entrepreneurs, as such violations could impact Indonesia's economic sovereignty. "In this regard, there is a presidential regulation to regulate forest areas," Sjafrie said during a meeting with the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
However, Sjafrie clarified that the DPN does not have operational authority. Its role is limited to formulating solutions to be delegated to relevant agencies.
Hammam Izzuddin contributed to this article
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