Should Kompolnas Have Its Own Law?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Commission for Accelerating Police Reform (KPRP) recommends strengthening the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) as an external overseer of the Indonesian National Police (Polri).

This strengthening is deemed essential given Polri’s position directly under the President, necessitating robust and independent external oversight.

All members are proposed to come from independent societal elements, without ex-officio members. The recommendations produced by Kompolnas are also proposed to be binding.

In addition, Kompolnas’s authority is recommended to be expanded, from supervising training and operational aspects, conducting investigations into ethical violations, to participating in ethics hearings if necessary.

“In this momentum of Police Reform initiated by the President, it is hoped that Kompolnas can also be reformed by providing it with a strong legal basis in the form of a law,” Poengky told Kompas.com on Thursday (7/6/2026).

Agreeing with the KPRP’s recommendations, Poengky urges that Kompolnas be given strong duties and authority, and composed of individuals with high integrity and independence. Thus, Kompolnas as a Functional Supervisor and firm, independent External Supervisor can work in accordance with public expectations.

“So that the Polri it oversees becomes an institution that is truly professional and independent,” he said.

According to him, the presence of ex-officio members makes Kompolnas’s work in carrying out its duties and authority ineffective.

He added that the existence of three government elements in Kompolnas so far has been considered very ineffective, as these ex-officio ministers are preoccupied with their primary duties in their respective ministries.

Moreover, the presence of ex-officio members is also feared to weaken Kompolnas’s independence.

Poengky stated that Kompolnas’s authority in the supervision field so far has also been deemed very limited. Kompolnas only handles the scope of Public Complaints and Suggestions (SKM) without executive authority.

“Therefore, in this momentum of Police Reform Phase II, Kompolnas must also be reformed and given strong duties and authority as a mandate of the Reform to oversee Polri and as a consequence of placing Polri directly under the President,” he explained.