Defence Minister asks Territorial Development Battalion soldiers to protect and serve the public

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin reminded soldiers from the Territorial Development Battalion (Yon TP) to provide a sense of security to the public by protecting and serving them to the fullest extent.

This was stated by Sjafrie during a visit to the 848/Satya Pandya Cakti (SPC) Infantry Battalion, which is part of the 88/KBK Territorial Brigade of the II/Sriwijaya Military Command in Anak Tuha, Central Lampung, on Thursday (26/2).

“The presence of the unit must be felt by the people as protectors and guardians. This will foster a sense of ownership of the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) among the community,” Sjafrie told the soldiers, as quoted in a press release from the Ministry of Defence received in Jakarta, Friday.

According to Sjafrie, there are many things that Yon TP soldiers can do to ensure that the surrounding community feels safe.

One of them is by conducting motorised patrols with the buddy system as a preventive measure to anticipate potential disruptions to public order, such as robberies and drug trafficking.

In addition, Sjafrie said that soldiers can also work with the community to carry out positive activities such as cultivating plantations or other food crops.

This will broaden the community’s understanding of food management, so that the economy will improve and the crime rate can be reduced.

At the end of his visit, Sjafrie asked the soldiers to be more enthusiastic in carrying out their service duties for the community.

“Soldiers must have the ability, but more than that, they must have the willingness to be present and serve the people,” said Sjafrie.