Mahfud MD States Public Has Right to Know About Alert Status 1

JAKARTA – Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD has stated that the Indonesian public has the right to receive clear explanations regarding the implementation of Alert Status 1 across the entire Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI).

According to Mahfud, if possible, the government should communicate this information to the public as it constitutes a constitutional obligation. “If necessary, it’s a constitutional obligation to be announced. The Indonesian people have the right to receive information as clearly as possible,” said Mahfud in the Senen area, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (10 March 2026).

Mahfud stated that the decision regarding which information can be disclosed to the public rests with the President. “But in any case, people gradually ask, what exactly is Alert Status 1? What’s the context? That’s the question,” he said.

Mahfud also questioned the rationale for implementing Alert Status 1 across the entire TNI ranks if the reason was merely the potential for large-scale demonstrations. “If the reason is, for example, there’s going to be a big demonstration, why would it warrant Alert Status 1?” said Mahfud. “During my time as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, there were several large-scale demonstrations. Many times, but it didn’t reach Alert Status 1 – not even Alert Status 2,” he added.

Mahfud explained that when he was in the cabinet, the government responded to protest actions through inter-agency coordination through joint meetings with various officials, including the TNI Commander, National Police Chief, Attorney General, and leaders of relevant agencies, including the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Mahfud gave an example of the government’s discussion of the “Jokowi End Game” movement that had circulated on social media. However, after analysis, the government concluded that the movement lacked organised strength. “Who’s the movement coordinator? There isn’t one. ‘If there’s no coordinator, then there’s no funding,’ as they say,” he noted.