Ipda Motalip's Approach Builds Trust Among Residents in Nduga Land

Ipda Motalip has been nominated by several residents for the 2026 Hoegeng Awards. One of the nominators is Iksana Murib, who stated in her nomination: I am nominating this individual because he is one of the most friendly and caring police officers towards the community. He is also a figure worthy of emulation for his courage in addressing the dangerous conflicts that frequently occur in Nduga Regency.

detikcom then asked Iksana about her nomination. She explained one of the conflicts successfully resolved by Ipda Motalip was the tribal conflict arising from the 2024 Nduga DPRD election. “I am a teacher in Kenyam. Last year in 2024, there was a conflict, a tribal war. Mr Talip immediately went into the field. Even though they were at war, Mr Talip was there, figuring out how to prevent the conflict from happening. We witnessed his struggles,” Iksana told detikcom on Friday (27/3/2026).

Iksana said the majority of Nduga residents know Motalip. In fact, locals call Motalip by the affectionate nickname Pak Salib. “He’s called Salib because there are many conflicts, but his approach with the community makes him a mediator between the police and the people. Basically, in Nduga, if someone mentions Pak Talip, everyone in the regency, from young children in primary school to secondary school students, knows who Pak Talip is,” said Iksana.

Ipda Motalip is also known as a figure who likes to help Nduga residents. Residents even protested and demonstrated when Motalip was transferred. “His way of communicating and adapting with us is different from other police officers. I mean, Pak Talip is truly… Nduga is a conflict area, so many police are afraid, but Pak Talip is not like that; he has a different personality, from a security perspective,” she said.

Dhias Suwanti also nominated Ipda Motalip for the Hoegeng Awards. Dhias is a journalist in Jayapura who once wrote an article about Ipda Motalip. “He started his assignment from the beginning… in Nduga, there was no police station yet, just a police post, and Pak Talip was one of the first placed there. Coincidentally, important people in Nduga were previously in Wamena, in Jayawijaya Regency, and Pak Talip had served there before, so he already knew those community leaders,” said Dhias.

Due to Ipda Motalip’s closeness with Nduga community leaders, he was asked to fill the position at the Nduga police post. Initially, residents were wary of Motalip’s presence. “But when Pak Talip first entered Nduga, the people there have military trauma, so to speak. So when meeting officials, they are cynical or avoidant. That’s how Pak Talip first entered Nduga,” she explained.

“But eventually, after he asked the leaders he knew, they advised him not to carry weapons when meeting the community. Pak Talip followed that; he doesn’t carry weapons anywhere, and when distressed residents come, he brings aid,” she added.

Dhias said Ipda Motalip took two years to get close to the residents. To this day, residents request that Motalip remain assigned in Nduga. “Whenever there’s an issue at the police station, they still seek out Pak Talip. Pak Talip has been transferred from Nduga twice, but the community always protests and demands his return,” said Dhias.

Ipda Motalip’s Approach to Building Closeness with Residents

Ipda Motalip also became one of the candidates nominated in the 2025 Hoegeng Corner programme. From the start of his assignment, Ipda Motalip held the principle that Nduga residents are his family who must be protected and served.

Motalip has been serving in Nduga since 2012. At that time, he was assigned as the Head of the Nduga Development Police Post. “When we were assigned to Nduga in 2012, there was an incident where a PAN faction DPRD member died on 10 June 2012, if I recall correctly,” Motalip said in the Hoegeng Corner programme on Friday (24/10/2025).

The case of the death of DPRD member Paulina Ubruangge created an unconducive situation. Motalip was then assigned to the location to secure it. Motalip was appointed by the Wamena Police Chief as the Head of the newly formed Nduga Development Police Post. “At that time, the Police Chief called me to his residence on the 13th, a Sunday, and I departed for Nduga that same day. I said ‘Commander, I apologise, Nduga is different from other areas; please allow an officer to support me, because I’m leading troops, there needs to be an officer with me, my rank at the time was Junior Brigadier, if I remember correctly’,” he explained.

Ipda Motalip said he was appointed as Head of the Development Police Post at the direct request of the then Nduga Regent Yairus Gwijangge and also at the request of community leaders. Motalip had previously known both individuals. “After that, the Police Chief said ‘The Regent ordered you there, including the tribal chief who requested you go to Nduga’. ‘Oh, understood, but on the condition that I choose my team’, ‘go ahead’. So I chose my team,” he explained.

Ipda Motalip, along with five other police officers, flew to Nduga. Upon arriving in Kenyam District, he was immediately welcomed by customary leaders. “Praise be to God, upon landing at the airport, a tribal chief came to pick us up; I was surprised, the late Ruben, one of the figures in the regency, who has passed away. There, the government had prepared a place for us, the official residence of Assistant One and Assistant Two, which was turned into the Development Post,” he said.

Ipda Motalip then communicated with the family of the late DPRD member who had passed away. Because the family was protesting the death, leading to unrest. “When I arrived, I spoke with the family of the late Mrs Paulina; they were neighbours, we already knew her as our DPRD member.”