Defence Ministry Explains Military Training for Cooperative Managers, Mourns Fallen SPPI Participants

The Ministry of Defence has explained the rationale behind requiring prospective managers of the Village/Subdistrict Red and White Cooperatives (KDKMP) and Red and White Fishermen’s Cooperatives (KNMP) to undergo basic military training (latsarmil). According to the Head of the Ministry’s Human Resources Development Agency, Major General TNI Ketut Gede Wetan Pastia, the training is intended to foster a strong sense of discipline and the ability to work under pressure. The ministry has also implemented mitigation measures, including advanced health checks, to ensure the safety of participants during the training and prevent illness or fatalities. In a separate development, the ministry expressed its deep condolences over the deaths of five participants from the 2026 Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) programme, who passed away while attending a state defence and managerial training course.