President Prabowo Subianto has swapped the posts of two generals in\nhis administration: Maruli Simanjuntak is now Deputy Commander of the\nIndonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), while Tandyo Budi Revita has\nbecome Army Chief of Staff (KSAD).<\/p>\n
The two were sworn in at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, 15\nOctober 2026. Maruli has also been assigned by Prabowo to lead the\nNational Agency for the Management of Border and Remote Areas\n(BNPPDT).<\/p>\n
The inauguration began with the reading of the presidential decree.\nPrabowo then led the two officials in taking their oaths of office.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will remain faithful to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of\nIndonesia and implement all laws and regulations as faithfully as\npossible in the service of the nation and state. In carrying out my\nofficial duties, I will uphold the ethics of office and perform to the\nbest of my ability with a full sense of responsibility,\u201d Prabowo said,\nwith the appointed officials repeating the oath.<\/p>\n
Maruli said Prabowo had instructed him to lead the BNPPDT, which will\nfocus on improving the economic conditions of people in border and\nremote areas.<\/p>\n
He said a border-management agency already existed and had been\ntemporarily led by the home affairs minister. It is now being expanded\nto include the management of remote areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is an excellent idea. The agency already existed as a\nborder-management body, and it is currently being led on an interim\nbasis by the Home Affairs Minister. It is being developed further\nbecause, over the past few years, I have done a great deal of work to\nimprove the economy of people in remote areas,\u201d Maruli said at the State\nPalace in Jakarta on Thursday, 15 October 2026.<\/p>\n
Maruli said Prabowo wants the government to focus more closely on\nimproving the welfare of people living in border and remote areas. As\nDeputy Commander of the TNI, he will also assist TNI Commander General\nAgus Subiyanto.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat may be the President\u2019s idea: to focus more on people in border\nand remote areas. The agency will be developed from the National Border\nManagement Agency into one responsible for managing borders and remote\nareas, and that will be my task. As Deputy Commander, my role is clear:\nto assist the Commander,\u201d Maruli said.<\/p>\n
Maruli stressed that managing the BNPPDT would not be solely a TNI\nresponsibility. The agency, he said, is a separate institution that will\nco-ordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to improve people\u2019s\nwelfare in border and remote areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, this is not a task for the TNI alone. The agency and its\norganisation already exist. With the addition of remote-area management\nto its border responsibilities, why not also improve the local economy?\nWe do not necessarily need to provide the funding ourselves; we can help\nco-ordinate with the Ministry of Villages and other ministries that can\nimprove people\u2019s lives in the regions,\u201d Maruli said.<\/p>\n
Maruli also said he may involve TNI personnel stationed in the areas\nconcerned. He said the presence of troops from the three TNI services\ncould support co-ordination on the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will see what is available in those areas. There are territorial\ndevelopment battalions, or Yon TP, that we can make use of. The Air\nForce may also have personnel there, and the Navy is often present in\ncoastal areas. In my position as Deputy Commander, I can help\nco-ordinate with them,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Tandyo said that, as Army Chief of Staff, he had been tasked with\naccelerating government programmes, including village cooperatives,\nPeople\u2019s Schools and food security initiatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese will certainly be tasks for the Army: to speed up their\nimplementation, whether that is KDKMP, People\u2019s Schools or food\nsecurity. We will promptly deliver on the President\u2019s directives,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Tandyo also discussed efforts to tackle forest and land fires. With\nArmy troops deployed across Indonesia, he said he would mobilise the\nservice\u2019s capabilities to help extinguish fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Army has the widest distribution of personnel. We will do as\nmuch as we can to help speed up firefighting, particularly in peatland\nareas,\u201d Tandyo said.<\/p>\n
Another of Prabowo\u2019s directives, Tandyo said, concerns Papua. He said\nthe Army\u2019s priorities there include public welfare, while local security\ndisturbances would also remain a focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe Papua is one of the priorities in the President\u2019s\nprogramme. That includes both welfare and security disturbances,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Tandyo cited operations against the armed criminal group (KKB) in\nMaybrat, Southwest Papua, as an example. He said the TNI\u2019s efforts aim\nto persuade Papuans considering rebellion against the Unitary State of\nthe Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) to return to the fold.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the past two or three days, there have been developments in\nMaybrat, which was quite tense two or three years ago. If you have been\nfollowing the situation, some people came down and some were arrested\ntwo days ago. This will serve as a deterrent to our brothers and sisters\nwho have yet to come to their senses, so they can return to the Republic\nof Indonesia,\u201d he added.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-tni-generals-swap-roles-1792115488", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }