How Is the Military Involved in Building Merah Putih Cooperatives?
The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) has been involved in the village-level Merah Putih cooperative construction project. The military's involvement was detailed in a Tempo magazine report published on 15 February 2026, entitled "Why Are Soldiers Meddling in Building Merah Putih Cooperatives?"
Military District Commands have been requesting village heads to provide land for the construction of Merah Putih village cooperatives. One such case involves the construction of a cooperative in Bangunharjo Village, Sewon Sub-district, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region.
A village guidance non-commissioned officer and a representative of Military District Command 0729/Bantul visited the residence of Bangunharjo Village Head Nurhidayat in November 2025. They requested the village government to promptly provide land for the construction of a Merah Putih village cooperative this year.
Nurhidayat offered an existing village cooperative building situated next to the Military Sub-district Command 04/Sewon headquarters. The cooperative building had recently been renovated using Rp 160 million in village funds in preparation for the Merah Putih village cooperative programme.
However, the Military District Command rejected the offer. They argued that the existing village cooperative building did not meet the government's specifications. The criteria for Merah Putih cooperative buildings include being situated on land of at least 1,000 square metres, not occupying productive rice paddies, and not being located near riverbanks.
Nurhidayat then offered two plots of village treasury land located on Jalan Imogiri, Bantul. Feeling aggrieved, he sent a letter of protest to Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih and the Ministry of Cooperatives. He objected to the requirement that the village government must erect a new building in order to join the Merah Putih cooperative programme.
According to him, the Merah Putih cooperative should be allowed to operate first using existing buildings. "We have already worked so hard. It should just be allowed to run as it is for now," Nurhidayat said in Bantul on 10 February 2026.
Military involvement is even more conspicuous in Bangkalan Regency, Madura, East Java. The construction committee erected an information board in front of a cooperative building being constructed using a half-brick-wall and steel-frame design. The banner displayed the logos of the TNI, Regional Military Command V/Brawijaya, and the Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara) Investment Management Agency.
In addition to seeking land assets, military personnel have also been signing cooperation agreements with village heads. Tempo reviewed a cooperation agreement document between a village head in Central Java and a military district commander holding the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Military District Commands have been requesting village heads to provide land for the construction of Merah Putih village cooperatives. One such case involves the construction of a cooperative in Bangunharjo Village, Sewon Sub-district, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region.
A village guidance non-commissioned officer and a representative of Military District Command 0729/Bantul visited the residence of Bangunharjo Village Head Nurhidayat in November 2025. They requested the village government to promptly provide land for the construction of a Merah Putih village cooperative this year.
Nurhidayat offered an existing village cooperative building situated next to the Military Sub-district Command 04/Sewon headquarters. The cooperative building had recently been renovated using Rp 160 million in village funds in preparation for the Merah Putih village cooperative programme.
However, the Military District Command rejected the offer. They argued that the existing village cooperative building did not meet the government's specifications. The criteria for Merah Putih cooperative buildings include being situated on land of at least 1,000 square metres, not occupying productive rice paddies, and not being located near riverbanks.
Nurhidayat then offered two plots of village treasury land located on Jalan Imogiri, Bantul. Feeling aggrieved, he sent a letter of protest to Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih and the Ministry of Cooperatives. He objected to the requirement that the village government must erect a new building in order to join the Merah Putih cooperative programme.
According to him, the Merah Putih cooperative should be allowed to operate first using existing buildings. "We have already worked so hard. It should just be allowed to run as it is for now," Nurhidayat said in Bantul on 10 February 2026.
Military involvement is even more conspicuous in Bangkalan Regency, Madura, East Java. The construction committee erected an information board in front of a cooperative building being constructed using a half-brick-wall and steel-frame design. The banner displayed the logos of the TNI, Regional Military Command V/Brawijaya, and the Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara) Investment Management Agency.
In addition to seeking land assets, military personnel have also been signing cooperation agreements with village heads. Tempo reviewed a cooperation agreement document between a village head in Central Java and a military district commander holding the rank of lieutenant colonel.