PDIP Legislator Questions Relevance of Semi-Military Training for KDMP Managers

Member of Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) from the PDIP faction, Mufti Anam, has criticised the semi-military style recruitment process for prospective managers of the Village Red-and-White Cooperatives (KDMP). Mufti questioned the relevance of the education and training (diklat) to the managers’ actual duties in the field. “Regarding the military nuances in the training process, I respect the values of discipline, integrity, and camaraderie. But what is the relevance of barracks-style training, yells, and a semi-military approach to the main task of a cooperative manager?” Mufti told reporters on Thursday (18/6/2026). According to Mufti, the competence a cooperative manager must possess is the ability to manage a business, not lead troops. He encouraged training that focuses on business skills, accounting, and entrepreneurship for the prospective managers. “A cooperative manager’s job is not to lead troops. Their job is to read financial reports, manage cash flow, understand supply chains, build marketing networks, manage business risks, increase turnover, and generate profits for cooperative members,” he said. “Therefore, what is needed is training in business, accounting, marketing, digitalisation, stock management, and entrepreneurship. Not merely building an impression of discipline that has no direct connection to the ability to manage a business,” he added. Mufti warned that public scrutiny should not just be ignored by the government. He stressed that the measure of KDMP’s success is whether it can improve the village economy and generate profits for its members. “The most important thing to remember is that the measure of KDMP’s success is not how unified their yells are or how neat their formations are. The measure of success is whether the cooperative can increase villagers’ incomes, buy farmers’ harvests at fair prices, provide basic necessities more cheaply, open jobs, and generate profits for its members,” said Mufti. Mufti asked the government to evaluate the recruitment and training process for KDMP managers. “Do not let a programme that manages such a large amount of public money lose focus on its main goal, which is to build professional, healthy cooperatives that truly improve the welfare of village communities,” he concluded. The recruitment process for prospective KDMP managers has become a topic of discussion on social media, with the training implementation being highlighted as militaristic. In social media posts seen on Wednesday (17/6), individuals described as prospective KDMP managers were seen wearing camouflage uniforms and undergoing training in barracks.