Five SPPI Kopdes Merah Putih Participants Die, DPR Demands Evaluation
The Deputy Chairman of Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Nurdin Halid, has expressed deep condolences following the deaths of five participants of the Indonesia Development Driver Undergraduate Program (SPPI) during training for prospective managers of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP) and the Merah Putih Fishermen Cooperative (KNMP).
He stated that this tragedy should serve as a momentum for a thorough evaluation of the programme’s implementation, focusing on both participant safety and the effectiveness of the curriculum in preparing human resources to manage cooperatives professionally. Nurdin emphasised that the SPPI plays a strategic role in preparing superior human resources to drive the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, which are intended to be engines for strengthening the village economy. Therefore, programme implementation must prioritise safety standards without compromising the quality of competency development required for sustainable cooperative management.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased participants. The government needs to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the entire training series, from the health selection process and monitoring participants’ physical conditions during education to the readiness of medical handling systems. Participant safety must be the top priority in every human resource development programme,” Nurdin stated in a written statement received on Monday.
Beyond safety, Nurdin noted that the government needs to refine the training curriculum so that SPPI graduates possess the necessary technical and managerial competencies for modern cooperative operations. This includes skills in stocktaking, inventory management, visual merchandising to increase product appeal, adaptive marketing and sales strategies, as well as mastery of accounting, auditing, and accountable financial governance.
Nurdin hopes that the government’s evaluation will result in improved governance of the SPPI. He noted that the success of the KDKMP Programme is determined not only by the scale of government investment but also by the quality of the human resources prepared to ensure cooperatives can grow healthily, accountably, and sustainably.
Meanwhile, Oleh Soleh, a member of Commission I of the DPR from the PKB faction, has urged for the cessation of Basic Military Training (Latsarmil) for prospective managers of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative. Similarly, Rahmat Saleh, a member of Commission VI of the DPR, has requested an evaluation of the basic military training component within the SPPI programme.
Ardi Manto Adiputera, Director of Imparsial, remarked that the deaths of the prospective managers were highly concerning. He noted that risk mitigation in a programme and incident handling are two distinct issues. Furthermore, he emphasised that all supervisory authorities, including the Ombudsman, can exercise their powers to ensure the programme operates according to regulations.
In related developments, the government has ensured that the financing for the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives will utilise existing government funds and State Budget (APBN) allocations, without burdening State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) or increasing the budget deficit. Additionally, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has reminded that the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives (KDMP) should not become competitors to existing community businesses that have already established themselves in villages.