National Police Chief Urges Students to Safeguard National Unity at SEMMI Iftar Ceremony
National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo attended a joint Iftar dinner hosted by the Board of Directors of the Indonesian Muslim Students Association (PB SEMMI) at Hotel Aryaduta in Central Jakarta on Thursday 12 March 2026. Also present were the President of the Executive Board of Syarikat Islam (LTSI) Hamdan Zoelva and the Chairman of PB SEMMI Bintang Wahyu Saputra along with other officials.
General Sigit opened his remarks by wishing the guests a blessed Ramadan fast and offering sincere apologies for any misdeeds committed during the holy month of 1447 H. Speaking in a warm atmosphere, he made light-hearted comments about his relationship with student activists, noting that whilst he frequently engages students in discussion, he has also often been the target of demonstrations.
“I very much enjoy meeting with student friends and activists. As Mr Hamdan said, I have already met many activists, and Alhamdulillah, I plan to become an activist after retirement,” the General remarked. He joked that his training has been extensive, from conducting discussions with students to being the subject of protests. “Sometimes we are confused about how those we invite to discuss can then demonstrate against us. But perhaps this is just another chapter in my education before I become an activist,” he quipped to the amusement of the audience.
In his address, General Sigit compared democracy to musical harmony, consisting of various instruments and different sounds that nonetheless produce beauty. He emphasised that the National Police greatly value freedom of expression and opinion as a legacy of Indonesia’s reform movement. “We can differ in our thoughts and opinions, but there is one thing we must protect—maintaining national unity for our beloved country. We experienced being divided for 350 years; that is a valuable lesson. We must never allow that to happen again,” General Sigit stated to an audience of hundreds of students.
“The Police greatly value the space for expression. We have a responsibility to provide the finest space and service for freedom of expression. We have adopted a new paradigm in which we shift from merely maintaining order to serving the people, and we have communicated that this is the duty of all of us, particularly the Police, to continue fulfilling this mandate,” he added.
General Sigit also reminded the students that the period 2030-2035 represents a crucial moment for Indonesia to advance into a developed nation through its demographic dividend. He entrusted the nation’s future to the students present, urging them to prepare themselves for the vision of Indonesia Gold 2045 and to hold the Police accountable should they behave improperly.
The event, attended by approximately 500 participants, was accompanied by senior Police officials including the Head of Intelligence Komenjen Yuda Gustawan, the Assistant for Human Resources Irjen Anwar, the Head of Internal Affairs Irjen Abdul Karim, the Head of Public Relations Johnny Eddizon Isir, and the Head of Medical Services Irjen Asep Hendradiana.
Beyond the Iftar ceremony itself, the event also featured humanitarian action. General Sigit presented symbolic assistance in the form of welfare packages and food parcels. A total of 50 food packages containing essential items such as rice, cooking oil and sugar were distributed, along with 50 welfare packages for orphaned children.