After Being Sworn in as KSP Head, Dudung Still Holds Role as President's Special Advisor

General TNI (Ret.) Dudung Abdurachman has taken office as the Head of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), replacing M Qodari, on Monday (27/4).

Before being sworn in as KSP head today, Dudung served as the President’s special advisor on National Defence. Regarding that advisory role, Dudung admitted that he is still holding it concurrently.

“I am still holding it concurrently, but there will certainly be a replacement soon,” he replied to a journalist’s question at the palace after the swearing-in.

Dudung was sworn in as KSP Head replacing M Qodari, who now serves as Head of the Government Communication Agency.

After the swearing-in, speaking to the media, Dudung promised that the KSP under his coordination would be open at all times to handle public reports.

“As KSP, I will naturally serve as a bridge between the public and the government. Thus, any complaints will be open for 24-hour reports from the public,” said the former Army Chief of Staff (KSAD).

He explained that his duties as KSP are to ensure the success of national strategic programmes and to make sure that President RI Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programmes are carried out thoroughly and quickly.

In addition, he emphasised that he will conduct evaluations, as well as coordinate and collaborate with ministries/institutions and regional governments regarding those presidential programmes.

“So that presidential priorities do not encounter bureaucratic issues, we will cut through the bureaucracy,” Dudung stated.

On the other hand, with Dudung’s appointment as KSP Head, the position is once again filled by someone with a military background.

Before Qodari, the role was held by AM Putranto, a retired TNI soldier from the Army branch.

Besides under Prabowo’s leadership, during the tenure of Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), the KSP Head position was also held by two retired TNI generals, namely Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Moeldoko.

Dudung is a four-star retired Army general. He is a graduate of the Military Academy Class of 1988, and his last position before retirement was as Army Chief of Staff (KSAD).

In addition, Dudung has held several strategic positions in the TNI.

Dudung was promoted to brigadier general when trusted to become Deputy Governor of the Military Academy (2015-2016), then Dudung continued as special staff to the Army Chief of Staff (2016-2017), and Deputy Territorial Assistant to the KSAD (2017-2018).

He was then promoted to major general while serving as Governor of the Military Academy (2018-2020), then went on to lead the region as Commander of the Jayakarta Military Region (Pangdam V Jaya) (2020-2021).

While still Pangdam Jaya, he became known for ‘backing’ security apparatus to maintain order in Jakarta, as well as cleaning up banners of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) after its legality was revoked by the central government.

After becoming Pangdam, Dudung was promoted to Commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Pangkostrad), at that time replacing Lt Gen TNI Eko Margiyono in 2021.

After that, Dudung was trusted to become the top leader of the Army branch as KSAD.