Government and Parliament Agree Active Police Officers May Hold Civil Positions
The Government and the Working Committee (Panja) for the Revision of the Indonesian National Police Law in Commission III of the DPR have agreed that active members of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) may hold positions in civil institutions. However, such placements are only permitted if they are related to policing functions.
Despite this agreement, the revision to the Police Law does not explicitly list which specific ministries or agencies may be staffed by active police officers. This consensus was reached during a meeting of the Police Law Bill Working Committee alongside the Ministry of Law to discuss the List of Problems (DIM) regarding the government’s proposed revision. The meeting took place at the DPR/MPR Building in Jakarta on Monday, 8 June 2026.
Deputy Minister of Law, Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, explained that the government proposes inserting Article 28A between Articles 28 and 29. This article would regulate the placement of Polri members outside the police institution. Under Article 28A, paragraph (1), police members may hold positions outside the organisation as long as they are linked to policing functions. Paragraph (2) clarifies that these functions include both managerial and non-managerial roles in ministries and agencies related to the maintenance of security, public order, law enforcement, and public services.
Furthermore, paragraph (3) stipulates that the placement of active police in civil positions may be initiated upon the request of a ministry or agency, subject to the approval of the minister responsible for the utilisation of state apparatus. Following approval, an open selection process based on a merit system will be conducted. Paragraph (4) emphasises that active police members occupying civil positions outside of policing functions must resign or retire once they have officially assumed the post. Additionally, Article 28A, paragraph (7) states that active police officers may fill civil positions if assigned by the President.
Deputy Minister Hiariej explained that any ministry or agency wishing to request the placement of Polri members must submit an official letter to the Chief of Police (Kapolri) after obtaining approval from the relevant ministry. This mechanism is regulated under paragraph (5) of Article 28A, followed by an open selection based on the merit system.
Member of Commission III DPR, I Wayan Sudirta, questioned the provisions in paragraphs (3) and (4) of Article 28A, noting they could potentially conflict with MPR Decree Number VII/MPR/2000, which states that police members may only hold positions outside the police force after resigning or retiring. In response, Hiariej asserted that the placement of active members remains permissible as long as it pertains to policing functions, noting that technical regulations will be further detailed in Government Regulations.
Another member of Commission III, Soedeson Tandra, stated that there is no need for overly detailed regulations regarding which ministries or agencies can be staffed by active police, as specific rules could limit future needs. The Working Committee ultimately approved the government’s proposal not to explicitly limit the specific ministries and agencies that can be occupied by active Polri members in the law revision.
Prior to the final decision by the Chairman of Commission III, Habiburokhman, the government, through Edward Hiariej, proposed the removal of items 31 to 51 of the DIM, as they contained a detailed list of ministries and agencies. The proposal was approved by Habiburokhman and the Working Committee. The government had previously submitted 112 items of the DIM for the Police Law revision, comprising 32 retained items, 12 substantive changes, 36 editorial changes, 24 deletions, and 8 new additions.