MP States That Placing Polri Under the President Aims to Maintain Command Effectiveness
JAKARTA - An Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III member, Abdullah, supports the recommendation from the Polri Reform Acceleration Commission, which affirms Polri’s position under the President.
According to him, placing Polri under the President aims to maintain command effectiveness and the institution’s independence.
“That position is important to preserve command effectiveness, institutional independence, and national security system stability,” said Abdullah on Wednesday (6/5/2026).
“This recommendation is spot on. From the beginning, I have consistently advocated that Polri must remain under the President, not placed under a ministry,” added Abdullah.
On Tuesday (5/5/2026), the Polri Reform Acceleration Commission recommended that Polri’s position remain under the President.
“Regarding Polri’s position, it remains as it is now, with Polri directly under the President,” said Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correctional Services Yusril Ihza Mahendra after the commission’s meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Tuesday (5/5/2026) afternoon.
“No formation of a Security Ministry or Police Ministry, or placing the police under an existing ministry; Polri remains directly under the President,” Yusril emphasised.
Previously, Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo firmly rejected placing the police institution under a ministry.
In a working meeting with DPR Commission III, he stressed that the Polri institution remains directly under the President.
“I consider placing Polri under a ministry as equivalent to weakening the Polri institution, weakening the state, and weakening the President,” said Sigit during the working meeting on Monday (16/1/2026).
However, Sigit firmly rejected the offer and held to the principle that Polri should naturally be under the President, not a minister.
“If I had to choose, as some have mentioned the Police Chief’s term several times, five years, five years, if I had to choose, as I stated yesterday, even some people messaged me via WhatsApp, ‘Would you like to become Minister of Police, Mr Police Chief?’,” Sigit revealed.
“I affirm in front of you all and the entire ranks that I reject the police being under a ministry, and even if I were to become Minister of Police, I would rather just become a farmer,” said Sigit.