KOKAM-Muhammadiyah Youth Support Police Remaining Under Presidential Authority
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – The General Chairman of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah Youth and Commander of KOKAM, Dzulfikar A. Tawalla, expressed support for the decision by House of Representatives Commission III to keep the National Police under presidential authority. According to him, the decision is important to protect the police institution from being influenced by practical political interests and to keep it within the framework of the constitution and security sector reform. Dzulfikar emphasized that in a democratic system, placing the police under the President through parliamentary mechanisms represents a legitimate channel of popular representation.
Every decision born from a constitutional process must be safeguarded for the stability of the governing system. He also assessed that the post-Reform era design positioned the National Police as a state instrument tasked with maintaining public security and order within the framework of civilian supremacy.
He warned that the discourse around establishing a dedicated ministry overseeing the police could potentially disrupt the police’s singular loyalty as a state instrument answerable to national interests and the Head of State. Such a situation could open the door to politicization if the ministry were affiliated with certain political forces. Therefore, strengthening oversight through checks and balances mechanisms by the House of Representatives and optimizing the role of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) were considered more appropriate measures.
Dzulfikar also urged all parties not to build narratives that weaken the police institution as a whole. Criticism of performance is part of healthy democratic oversight, but wholesale institutional delegitimization could erode public trust and disrupt social stability. Reform efforts, he said, must be pursued through constructive evaluation, oversight, and internal reform.
As a youth organization with a network extending to the village level, Muhammadiyah Youth and KOKAM are committed to safeguarding the mandate of Reform by encouraging the police to remain a community policing force that is close to the people, humane, professional, and just. They also called on all elements of the nation to be cautious of policy change narratives that could potentially deviate from the spirit of Reform and the constitutional framework.
KOKAM and Muhammadiyah Youth stated they will continue to support government programs in realizing the Asta Cita vision toward an Advanced Indonesia and Golden Indonesia 2045. Additionally, they expressed appreciation for the police’s swift response in various national priority programs, such as disaster management, development, the Free Nutritious Meal Program, and food security strengthening in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s directives.