Law Minister Discusses Police Retirement Age Extension in Revised Police Act
Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas believes the extension of the retirement age, as outlined in the revision of the Police Act (UU Polri), aims to ensure fairness. According to Supratman, police retirement age could be extended from 58 to 60 years, aligning with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and civil servants.
“This is about fairness. Civil servants currently retire at 60, so why not the police?” he said at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta on Monday, 25 May 2026.
According to the latest draft of the Police Act revision reviewed by Tempo, Article 30(2) has been amended regarding retirement age provisions. Subsection (a) sets the retirement age for constables, non-commissioned officers, officers up to the rank of commissioner general, and one-star to three-star generals at 60.
Subsection (b) states that four-star generals also retire at 60, but this can be extended up to 63 based on presidential needs.
Supratman noted that changes to retirement ages for the military, prosecutors, and civil servants also reflect increased life expectancy. He believes extending the police retirement age would boost personnel productivity.
“This will produce high-quality law enforcement officers, which will be factored into the equation. It’s purely about fairness,” said the Gerindra Party politician.
The government and House Commission III held their first working meeting on 25 May 2026 to discuss the Police Act revision, an initiative from lawmakers. Supratman explained that the existing Police Act, in place for over two decades, needs updating to align with legal developments, societal needs, technological advancements, transnational crime trends, and contemporary security threats.
The government outlined five key changes to the Police Act. First, strengthening transparency, professionalism, accountability, and humanistic principles in police operations. Second, reorganising the placement of active police personnel in non-police positions. Third, adjusting retirement age rules as part of professional human resource development aligned with organisational and national interests. Fourth, enhancing police education curricula to include human rights, democracy, and humanistic principles. Fifth, strengthening the National Police Commission by expanding its duties and authority, and restructuring membership through open, transparent, and competency-based mechanisms.
Supratman stated President Prabowo Subianto has sent a presidential letter to the House to initiate the bill’s discussion. However, the government has yet to submit a problem inventory list (DIM) as internal discussions on the academic draft and bill are ongoing.
The retirement age extension clause has drawn criticism from legal and security experts. Muhammad Isnur, Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, argued that extending retirement age could lead to a bloated police force with less productive staff, increasing the risk of mid-to-high-ranking officers without positions. He warned it could hinder generational renewal and derail police reforms. “This could also extend the tenure of the current Police Chief, who has already served for a long time,” Isnur said in a voice message on Monday.