Defence Minister Sjafrie Urged to Focus on Defence Duties
Public policy observer Gian Kasogi has reminded Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to maintain consistency with his primary mandate of managing national defence and not expand beyond his core duties and functions (tupoksi). He made these remarks during a public discussion held by the Indonesian Youth Congress Central Leadership Board in Jakarta on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
Gian highlighted concerns about the perception of the Defence Minister as a minister with many responsibilities. He observed that the Defence Minister frequently appears in agendas not directly related to national defence. He urged the Defence Minister to work within the corridor of the mandate given by the President.
“When the scope of movement extends too far into the realm of economic policy or business, then public questions arise about the boundaries of roles and the design of power within government,” said Gian.
Heru Susetyo, Professor of Law at the University of Indonesia, emphasised that strengthening the defence sector during President Prabowo Subianto’s administration must remain within the framework of democracy. According to him, the design of national security cannot rest solely on strengthening military institutions.
“Strong national defence is not just about strengthening the TNI or security apparatus, but also ensuring that civil society remains the primary pillar in the democratic system,” Heru stated firmly.
Similarly, military expert and international relations scholar Connie Rahakundini Bakrie believes that national security strategy should be formulated in a measured manner. Amid rivalries of major world powers, Connie advised the Defence Ministry to focus more on three main pillars: consolidation of military strength, development of the defence industry, and strategy for addressing geopolitical tensions.
Meanwhile, Robi Nurhadi, lecturer in International Relations at Universitas Nasional, warned of the risk of blurring priorities if defence policy expands too much into other sectors. “Defence policy should be directed towards strengthening the nation’s strategic capacity, not obscuring main priorities,” he said.
Political observer Ray Rangkuti assessed that the presence of Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in the presidential candidate market adds to the list of individual candidates for the 2029 presidential election. According to Rangkuti, Sjafrie is one of the important figures in President Prabowo Subianto’s administration with a strategic role not limited solely to the defence and security sectors.
Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin also announced the formation of the Kuala Task Force as a strategic measure for the recovery of facilities and infrastructure in disaster-affected areas.