Ministry of Defence Reveals Why Prospective Cooperative Managers Must Undergo Military Training

Five candidates for the managers of the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives (KDKMP) and Merah Putih Fishermen Cooperatives (KNMP) passed away while participating in basic military training. According to the Head of the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) of the Ministry of Defence, Major General TNI Ketut Gede Wetan Pastia, the military training was implemented so that candidate managers possess high discipline and the ability to work effectively under pressure.

“This state defence and managerial training is directed towards forming character, discipline, leadership, integrity, cooperation, responsibility, professionalism, the ability to work under pressure, and a spirit of service to the community,” said Ketut during a press conference at the Ministry of Defence office in Central Jakarta on Saturday (27/6/2026).

He explained that these various skills must be possessed by the KDKMP and KNMP candidate managers, as they will eventually be responsible for managing the circulation of public funds through the cooperatives.

According to him, with strong leadership and professionalism, the cooperatives they lead are expected to become a determining factor in the strength of the rural people’s economy. He added that a strong people’s economy is a component of national resilience; therefore, the formation of cooperative managers who are characterised by integrity, discipline, and leadership is a vital part of this process.

Regarding the intensive physical activities and semi-military training during the programme, Ketut emphasised that the objective is not to turn cooperative managers into soldiers. “The emphasis is not on physical ability, but rather on the formation of mental strength, character, responsibility, resilience, cooperation, and problem-solving skills,” Ketut stated.

Addressing the deaths of participants during the training, he admitted that a thorough evaluation would be conducted. The Ministry of Defence has ensured that preventative measures will be implemented to ensure that training materials are appropriately adjusted to the condition of each participant.