Expert Proposes Establishment of Joint Data Centre for Indonesian Intelligence Agencies
Intelligence observer Ridwan Habib has suggested the establishment of a joint intelligence data centre involving intelligence agencies in Indonesia.
Ridwan reasons that joint intelligence is necessary for Indonesia amid the uncertainty of current global dynamics.
“I think it’s very, very relevant in the increasingly uncertain global hegemony dynamics like this. Therefore, it’s perhaps time for us to try to find a formula so that these intelligence agencies can strengthen each other more,” said Ridwan at the Intelligence Seminar of the School of Sustainable Development Postgraduate Programme, at the IASTH Building, University of Indonesia, Salemba, Jakarta, on Wednesday (15/4).
“Well, with dynamics like this, security, vulnerabilities, it’s time, I think, for us to introduce the narrative of joint intelligence,” he added.
Ridwan cited examples from other countries that have successfully overcome sectoral egos among intelligence agencies by creating data centres.
“If we look at several countries, earlier I noted, sectoral egos can actually be overcome with the data centre model. Australia, for example, has the Office of National Intelligence. It combines data centres from 10 agencies, including ASIO. So clearance can be done. If you have clearance, you can access the data. But right now, we don’t have that,” he said.
“It’s also done in Singapore with its National Security Centre. Then in Germany, it has what is called NADIS. In NADIS, all intelligence agencies, including federal intelligence agencies, states, provinces, then deposit the same data on one platform,” he continued.
However, Ridwan also does not deny that in its implementation, there is compartmentalisation, namely in carrying out tasks and functions, intelligence activities are separate from each other, and only known by the respective unit.
He emphasised that intelligence agencies must still adhere to that principle even after the data centre is created.
“What shouldn’t be known is like this, you’re from BAIS, you’re conducting a BAIS operation, but you talk about it, for example, you tell BIN or Baintelkam, ‘BAIS is operating here, our boss is sexy here, the target is this’. Well, that’s not allowed. This violates compartmentalisation,” he stated.
Ridwan said the purpose of creating the data centre is for efficiency in task division among agencies.
“What’s the goal? So that data overlapping doesn’t happen. Sometimes in the field, the target is the same, four agencies operating, five agencies. For example, BSSN operating, then Kejagung intelligence operating, BAIS operating, BIN operating, Baintelkam operating, the target is the same, for example, about narcotics smuggling in a region in Indonesia, something like that. Yeah, that’s a waste of resources in our view,” he said.
There are several intelligence agencies in Indonesia, such as BIN, BAIS TNI, Baintelkam Polri, Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence of the Attorney General’s Office, and other intelligence units in ministries and agencies.