Minister Yandri: Kopdes Red and White Manager Training to Foster Patriotism and Discipline

Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto has stated that the basic military training (latsarmil) for 30,000 prospective managers of the Red and White Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih) and 5,476 prospective managers of the Red and White Fishermen’s Villages (Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih) aims to strengthen their sense of patriotism. “Firstly, to foster a love for this nation that we hold so dear. Because they come from various backgrounds and are still young, they need a deepening of their love for the nation and state,” Yandri told reporters at the Ministry of Villages office in Jakarta on Tuesday (23/6/2026). “Secondly, discipline. Because they will be the spearhead, the people trusted by the state to be present in the villages, overseeing the President’s programmes, as managers,” he added. Yandri emphasised that the position of manager is crucial in determining the success of the Kopdes Merah Putih programme. He stressed the importance of discipline for those appointed to the role. “They need spirit, they need to upgrade their body and soul. And that certainly requires special training,” he said. The tens of thousands of prospective managers undergoing this basic military training are doing so simultaneously. He stated that togetherness and cohesion will lead to success. “They might feel embarrassed if they don’t succeed while their friends do. So this builds a strong team, teamwork. Because they will be stationed at the furthest reaches of villages, at the edges of this country, possibly separated from their parents, far from their hometowns. So they need strong mental fortitude,” he remarked. “And this requires basic disciplinary training, and those with the capacity for that are certainly the TNI and Polri, aren’t they? So I think we appreciate this programme, so that when they are deployed, they are ready, body and soul, for the Red and White,” he added. He assessed that the basic military training is relevant to the duties of cooperative managers. According to Yandri, discipline will help Kopdes managers improve in terms of conduct, communication style, and attitude. “And the manager also supervises many other workers in the village. So the manager must demonstrate a strong character, both physically and mentally. It is important that this performance is visible, both within the Kopdes environment itself and to the community. Ultimately, this leads to the success of the Red and White Village Cooperatives,” he said. As previously reported, tens of thousands of prospective managers for the Red and White Village Cooperatives and Red and White Fishermen’s Villages will undergo basic military training. Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defence Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defence Secretariat General, stated that the training includes values such as discipline and leadership. “Through the Reserve Component basic military training, participants are equipped with knowledge and values of discipline, leadership, teamwork, integrity, a spirit of service, and a strong work ethic,” Rico said, as quoted by the Antara news agency on Thursday (18/6). According to Rico, this material is important to strengthen the leadership, discipline, and national insight of participants in carrying out their duties in the Red and White Village Cooperatives and Red and White Fishermen’s Villages. Additionally, participants will receive managerial material and competency training developed in collaboration with relevant technical ministries. Participants will also undergo basic military training as provided to Reserve Component members in general. The entire training series is one of the requirements before participants carry out their duties in the Red and White Village Cooperatives and Red and White Fishermen’s Villages. Rico stated that the number of participants in the programme totals 35,476 people. They will undergo Reserve Component training for 45 days at 67 TNI units spread across Indonesia. “The disciplinary training is conducted for 30 days, followed by managerial training for 15 days,” he said.