Village Heads Speak Out on Military's Role in Merah Putih Cooperatives
The military plays a role in the implementation of the Merah Putih cooperative programme. Military involvement in the Merah Putih cooperatives began with the signing of a cooperation agreement between PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) on 10 October 2025. The agreement grants the military authority to participate in accelerating the construction of cooperative buildings in the regions.
Cooperatives Minister Ferry Joko Juliantono subsequently issued Circular Letter Number 4 of 2025 on the Registration of Land and Building Assets for the Acceleration of Merah Putih Cooperatives. One of its key provisions requires village officials to coordinate with local military district commands in registering land and building assets. Local territorial unit commanders would then report the asset data to PT Agrinas Pangan.
However, military involvement has not been fully supported by village heads. A number of village heads have complained that the military presence in village cooperatives has effectively sidelined the role of village officials.
Several village heads reported being approached by soldiers to provide land for the construction of Merah Putih village cooperatives. One such case was experienced by Nurhidayat, head of Bangunharjo Village in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, in 2025.
Nurhidayat said the soldiers wanted a new cooperative building by 2026. He offered the Bantul Military District Command (Kodim) envoys the existing village unit cooperative building, which stands adjacent to the Military Sub-District Command (Koramil) 04/Sewon headquarters. The cooperative building was still in excellent condition, having recently been renovated using village funds amounting to Rp160 million.
However, representatives from Kodim Bantul rejected Nurhidayat's offer, arguing that the existing village cooperative building did not meet the government's specifications.
Nurhidayat expressed his objection to the military's involvement. According to him, the cooperative building construction project is being carried out by PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara together with the military. "We just receive the finished product and are not involved in building the cooperative," he said.
A similar account was given by Sarjaka, head of Baturetno Village in Banguntapan Sub-district, Bantul. Sarjaka said the village government merely prepares village treasury land and handles land permit requirements. "We have no involvement whatsoever in building the cooperative," Sarjaka said.
Cooperatives Minister Ferry Joko Juliantono subsequently issued Circular Letter Number 4 of 2025 on the Registration of Land and Building Assets for the Acceleration of Merah Putih Cooperatives. One of its key provisions requires village officials to coordinate with local military district commands in registering land and building assets. Local territorial unit commanders would then report the asset data to PT Agrinas Pangan.
However, military involvement has not been fully supported by village heads. A number of village heads have complained that the military presence in village cooperatives has effectively sidelined the role of village officials.
Several village heads reported being approached by soldiers to provide land for the construction of Merah Putih village cooperatives. One such case was experienced by Nurhidayat, head of Bangunharjo Village in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, in 2025.
Nurhidayat said the soldiers wanted a new cooperative building by 2026. He offered the Bantul Military District Command (Kodim) envoys the existing village unit cooperative building, which stands adjacent to the Military Sub-District Command (Koramil) 04/Sewon headquarters. The cooperative building was still in excellent condition, having recently been renovated using village funds amounting to Rp160 million.
However, representatives from Kodim Bantul rejected Nurhidayat's offer, arguing that the existing village cooperative building did not meet the government's specifications.
Nurhidayat expressed his objection to the military's involvement. According to him, the cooperative building construction project is being carried out by PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara together with the military. "We just receive the finished product and are not involved in building the cooperative," he said.
A similar account was given by Sarjaka, head of Baturetno Village in Banguntapan Sub-district, Bantul. Sarjaka said the village government merely prepares village treasury land and handles land permit requirements. "We have no involvement whatsoever in building the cooperative," Sarjaka said.