Defence Ministry Explains Causes of Death for Two Prospective Cooperative Managers

The Ministry of Defence has stated that two participants in the Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) programme for the Red and White Village Cooperatives and Fishermen’s Villages have died. Head of Defence Information Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait said both died whilst undergoing basic military training at Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) educational units. The two deceased participants were Anisa Muyassaroh, who was training at the Dodikjur Rindam VI/Mulawarman Education Unit in Balikpapan, and Yonanda Muhammad Taufik, who was training at the Puslatpur Kodiklat Education Unit in Baturaja. The causes of death for the two participants were different. Rico said Anisa Muyassaroh experienced health problems on 18 June 2026. The victim was treated at the unit’s medical facility before being referred to hospital. Based on medical information, Anisa Muyassaroh was pronounced dead due to heat stroke, Rico said in an official statement on Wednesday, 24 June 2026. The other participant, Yonanda Muhammad Taufik, also experienced a decline in health condition on 17 June 2026. Rico said the prospective cooperative manager died of cardiac arrest after being referred to hospital. The Ministry of Defence and the TNI have provided assistance to the families of both participants and ensured that all handling processes were carried out in accordance with applicable procedures, he said. Rico stated that the ministry, together with the national selection committee and education providers, will evaluate all aspects of the basic military training programme’s implementation. This evaluation covers health screening mechanisms, medical supervision, handling of participants with special health conditions, and communication and reporting systems. Despite this, he claimed the selection stages for the two deceased participants were carried out in accordance with prevailing regulations. Both participants, he said, had undergone health checks and were declared eligible to take part in the basic military training. We emphasise that the safety and health of participants is the main priority in organising the programme, the one-star general said. Additionally, Rico explained that the SPPI programme is intended as a government effort to prepare human resources with discipline, integrity, a spirit of service, and leadership or managerial skills. The goal, he said, is to support national development through the implementation of the priority Red and White Village Cooperatives and Fishermen’s Villages programmes. Participation in this programme is carried out voluntarily in accordance with the established selection mechanism, Rico said. Each prospective project manager is required to undergo basic military training for 45 days, or one and a half months. A total of 35,476 prospective managers are undergoing basic military training at TNI education units, comprising 30,000 participants as prospective Red and White Village Cooperative managers and 5,476 as prospective Fishermen’s Village managers.