Prospective Kopdes Manager Dies, DPR Member: Reduce Military Training, Focus on Cooperative Management

A member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the PDI Perjuangan faction, TB Hasanuddin, has called for an evaluation of the training programme for participants of the SPPI prospective manager scheme for the Koperasi Desa Merah Putih (KDMP). The evaluation is deemed necessary following the deaths of two participants during the activity. According to Hasanuddin, the health aspect of participants must be a primary concern before they undergo training involving physical activity. “One died due to illness, the second due to heat stroke. So, in my opinion, it must be evaluated, especially for those who wish to join such training; their health must be checked properly so that those entering the activity are ready to carry out physical activities even in hot conditions,” Hasanuddin said on Wednesday (24/6/2026). Regarding the implementation of basic military training (latsarmil) for prospective managers of village cooperatives and fishermen’s cooperatives, Hasanuddin admitted he did not yet know in detail the material provided in the training. Therefore, he assessed that further investigation is needed regarding the proportion of material related to military elements. He stated that instilling discipline through activities such as marching drills is still understandable as long as it supports the learning process. However, the main substance of the training must still be directed towards increasing cooperative management capacity. “Yes, I don’t know the learning material yet. We will ask later, whether it is only a small part, marching, wearing helmets and so on, then carrying weapons, shooting and so forth, or just that. But in my opinion, learning to march is fine for discipline when you want to learn. But the most important thing is learning to manage a cooperative, that is the most important,” he said.