Government’s Justification for the Swift Passage of the Police Law Revision

The government has explained the reason for the brief deliberation on the revision of the Police Law (RUU Polri) in Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI). The RUU Polri Working Committee held a meeting to discuss the Problem Inventory List (DIM) for the bill on Monday (8/6). The revision was then ratified into law during a plenary session on Tuesday (9/6).

Deputy Minister of Law Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej stated that the changes discussed in the revision only touched on a number of specific substances. ‘So regarding this RUU Polri, why was the discussion not so long? There are only 20 substances, and new substances became the subject of discussion. There are 7 subjects of discussion,’ said the man known as Eddy at the parliamentary complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday.

Some of these substances include matters relating to police duties and an affirmation for persons with disabilities, who can be recruited as members of the National Police based on specific expertise they possess. ‘Then the third relates to social security. That is a reasonable matter regarding health and so forth,’ he said.

The revision also addresses the retirement age limit. The revised law sets the retirement age for Non-Commissioned Officers and Enlisted Ranks at 59 years, while for Commissioned Officers, whether First Officers, Middle-Ranking Officers, or High-Ranking Officers, the age is 60 years.

Further changes concern the assignment of police personnel outside the institutional structure. He explained that the regulation on assigning police members outside the institution is adjusted to the mandate of Article 30 paragraph (4) of the 1945 Constitution, which governs the function of the police in maintaining public security and order, protecting and serving the public, and enforcing the law. ‘That is what we then detail in the fields where, once again, police members can be placed. So, in the explanation of the article, we also provide existing examples,’ he said.