REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Police turned down proposal from Minister of Defense (MoD) recommending the National Police under the ministry. They argued that they must be independent.
"We are in duty for security, order as well as law enforcement. It is more ideal for us to be independent," National Police Chief Gen. Sutarman said on Monday, December 1.
He said that Police must be directly under president to avoid conflict of interests. He warned against possibility that used the police to support politics. "Police will only obey the President and Laws," he said.
Earlier, Minister of Defense Gen. (ret.) Ryamizard Ryacudu proposed placing the National Police under the ministry, rather than under the President. He argued that the since the National Armed Forces (TNI) was placed under the Ministry of Defense, there was reasonable to apply the similar system to the National Police.