Puan: Training for Village Cooperative Managers Should Focus on Managerial Skills
House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani has stated that training for prospective managers of the ‘Red and White’ village cooperatives should focus on managerial aspects. Puan was responding to the deaths of five participants of the Indonesian Development Pioneer Undergraduate Programme (SPPI) during the military-style training.
“Indeed, the series of activities carried out should ideally focus more on managerial skills alone,” she said at the DPR complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.
She argued that managerial ability is more necessary for the prospective cooperative managers in their future duties. She did not explicitly demand that the basic military training be halted.
Puan reminded that no more lives should be lost in the implementation of human resource procurement for the village cooperatives. Puan also cautioned that the government must conduct a thorough evaluation of the training for these prospective cooperative managers.
“We will follow up on this later. We will first see the evaluation,” said the Chair of the PDI Perjuangan Central Executive Board.
The five participants who died during the basic military training were Nola Dya Sari, Novia Rahmadhani Sihotang, Anisa Muyassaroh, Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq, and Muhammad Rifki Renaldi Gunawan.
Nola Dya Sari, who attended training at the Kalimantan State Defence Education Unit, died on 26 June 2026 after complaining of shortness of breath and fever. On the same day, Muhammad Rifki Renaldi Gunawan, a participant at the 465 Para Commando Battalion Education Unit in East Jakarta, also died after experiencing similar complaints. Rifki was known to have a history of hypertension and obesity.
Meanwhile, participant Novia Rahmadhani Sihotang at the Indonesian Air Force Doctrine, Education, and Training Development Command Language Centre in Jakarta died on 23 June 2026 due to active tuberculosis.
Furthermore, Anisa Muyassaroh died a day after training began, on 18 June 2026, from heat stroke while attending training at the Mulawarman Military Command Main Regiment Education Unit in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq died on the first day of training, 17 June 2026, due to cardiac arrest.
The Ministry of Defence has decided to reduce the intensity of military-style physical and tactical activities for the prospective cooperative managers. Head of the Defence Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, said that for the remainder of the basic military training, activities are limited to instilling discipline and basic fitness. These include morning exercises or sports, roll calls, marching drills, environmental orientation, and light field activities.
Rico said the ministry has also mapped the physical capabilities of the prospective village cooperative managers. “Participants with medical conditions or health risk factors have been given a special white ribbon marking,” he said.
Rico stated that participants wearing this special marking will not be burdened with excessive physical activities. He said participants with health risks or complaints will undertake physical activities based on health workers’ recommendations.
The Ministry of Defence, he added, has also reduced physical actions for discipline. He stated that participants who violate rules will not be given excessive physical punishment.
“It has been made measurable. The emphasis is more on educational guidance,” said the one-star general.