State Secretary on Police Bill: Must Strengthen Role as Public Protector
The Minister of State Secretary, Prasetyo Hadi, has revealed several government expectations for the Indonesian National Police (Polri) through the revision of Law Number 2 of 2002 concerning the Indonesian National Police. Prasetyo stated that the revision of this regulation should strengthen the functions and duties of the police as protectors and guardians of the community.
“It is more about the substance, how to strengthen the Polri institution to carry out its duties and functions as a guardian of the community, as a protector of the people, as the people’s police, a police force loved by the people,” Prastyo said at the House of Representatives (DPR) building, Jakarta, on Saturday, 6 June 2026.
In addition to its mandate as a protector of the public, Prasetyo noted that the police must continue their role in maintaining public order, including handling drug smuggling and other illegal goods. The Gerindra Party politician highlighted the increasingly sophisticated methods of drug smuggling and its impact on the future of Indonesia’s younger generation. He also cited the smuggling of garment industry goods, which is feared could erode the sustainability of domestic businesses.
“The issue of smuggling will affect our economy. If what is smuggled are goods that can disrupt the real economic sector of the community,” he said.
The revision of the Police Law is included in the list of proposed Priority National Legislative Programmes (Prolegnas) for discussion in 2026. This revision was proposed by Commission III of the DPR, alongside the newly passed Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) and the Asset Forfeiture Bill.
One notable change in the proposed revision is the extension of the retirement age for police officers. It is proposed that the retirement age for non-commissioned officers (bintara and tamtama) be set at 58, with the possibility of an extension to 60. Meanwhile, the retirement age for commissioned officers (perwira) would be 60, extendable to 62 for those with specialised expertise.
Deputy Minister of Law, Eddy Hiariej, revealed that the DPR and the government have agreed on 20 items in the List of Problems (DIM) to be discussed in the revision of Law Number 2 of 2002. This decision was reached during a meeting of the Police Law Revision Working Committee at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday, 4 January 2026.
Eddy explained that from the draft revision initiated by the DPR, the government prepared 112 DIMs, consisting of 32 fixed DIMs, 36 editorial DIMs, 12 substantive DIMs, and 8 new substantive items. This means that only 20 items will be discussed in the upcoming deliberations, specifically the 12 substantive DIMs and 8 new substantive items. “If it is a fixed DIM, it means the government agrees with what was proposed by the DPR, so it will not be discussed,” he said.
Eddy declined to disclose the specific new substances to be included in the revision and refrained from commenting on the proposal to extend the police retirement age. He noted that all substantive matters will be discussed in the next meeting scheduled for the following week.