Army Chief Speaks Out on Viral Cooperative Displacing School in NTT

Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak has spoken out regarding a viral video narrating that the construction of a Red and White Village Cooperative (KDMP) had displaced a school in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Maruli admitted he had not yet received detailed information about the matter. However, he believes that the notion of a school being displaced solely for a village cooperative is illogical. “No, there is a lot of news we must clarify. It seems impossible for it to be that extreme. How could a school be abolished like that,” Maruli said after a meeting at Commission I of the DPR on Wednesday (10/6). “In my opinion, it is not normal for someone to shut down a school,” he added. Maruli said he would first verify the report. He even believes the issue is merely stirring commotion in the media. “Sometimes these things are just busy in the media. But realistically, it’s impossible for a registered school to just be abolished,” he said. Meanwhile, TNI Information Centre Head Brigadier General Muhammad Nas previously stated that the TNI did not displace a school to build the Kopdes Merah Putih. Nas mentioned that the village cooperative was built behind the school. According to Nas, the local Babinsa merely shifted a pole near the school to allow manoeuvring of heavy equipment to be used for the cooperative’s construction. “During the heavy equipment manoeuvre, it hit the corner pole of the school. The Dandim and Babinsa officers coordinated with the school and the local government: ‘Mr. Village Head, may we briefly shift this pole?’ ‘Yes, please go ahead,’” Nas said.