Defence Ministry: No Strenuous Physical Activity in Kopdes Merah Putih Basic Military Training

The Ministry of Defence has stated that the basic military training for prospective managers of the Kopdes Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives and the Merah Putih Fishing Villages does not include strenuous physical activities. The statement was made in response to public criticism regarding the harshness of the training.

Head of the Defence Human Resources Development Agency at the Ministry of Defence, Major General TNI Ketut Gede Wetan Pastia, said the training being conducted is the first stage of instilling national defence discipline. In this stage, no heavy physical activities are carried out.

“The physical activities, as have been implemented, are callisthenics, followed by marching, PBB, and PPM. So there are no activities that could be classified as strenuous physical exercise yet,” he said during a press conference at the Ministry of Defence on Saturday.

According to him, participants are also provided with material regarding the Kopdes Merah Putih and Merah Putih Fishing Villages by the relevant ministries. The training process is considered to be carried out in a gradual and sustainable manner.

Meanwhile, Head of the Reserve Component Centre at the National Reserve Agency of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General TNI Hengki Yuda, stated that the training portion in the programme has been carefully measured. This means the prospective managers are not being trained like military soldiers.

“Measured means that from the outset, this is not intended to make them military personnel, but these young people are being prepared to have discipline, integrity, and a strong work ethic, so the portion from the beginning is not heavy,” he said.