33,758 Potential Merah Putih Cooperative Managers Complete State Defence Training, Ministry of Defence Officially Closes First Wave
The Ministry of Defence (Kemhan) has officially closed the State Defence Education and Training (Diklat Bela Negara) for participants of the Indonesian Development Driver Bachelor programme (SPPI). These participants are being prepared to serve as prospective managers for the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives (KDKMP) and the Merah Putih Fisherman Cooperatives (KNMP). The closing ceremony for the first wave of training was held at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, East Jakarta, on Friday, 31 July 2026.
The ceremony commenced at approximately 08:00 WIB with the preparation of the SPPI troops on the field. The Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence, Lieutenant General TNI Tri Budi Utomo, presided over the ceremony and led the closing process of the training, which lasted for one and a half months.
During the ceremony, Tri Budi Utomo, alongside the ceremony leader, inspected the troops before returning to the podium to deliver the official closing statement. “Praise be to God Almighty, today, Friday, 31 July 20lar, at 08:22 Western Indonesia Time, the Education and Training for the Indonesian Development Driver Bachelor, Merah Putih Village, Sub-district, and Merah Putih Fisherman Village programmes for 2026, is officially declared closed,” stated Tri Budi Utomo.
According to collected data, a total of 33,758 SPPI members have completed the State Defence education and training conducted across various regions in Indonesia. This cohort consists of 28,626 prospective managers for the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives (KDKMP) and 5,159 prospective managers for the Merah Putih Fisherman Cooperatives (KNMP). Approximately 3,500 participants attended the closing ceremony in person at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base. This group represents the total number of participants who have completed the entire first wave of education before they begin their duties as cooperative managers in various regions. The State Defence training programme for SPPI lasted approximately one and a half months, with participants undergoing education at several Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) training facilities distributed across the country.