Megawati on TNI Law Revision: Don't Let Military Dual Function Return

March 19, 2025 | 01:30 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I held a first-level working meeting on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, to discuss revisions to the TNI Law with the government. During the meeting, all factions agreed that the amendment to Law Number 34 of 2004 could proceed to a plenary session.  

DPR Commission I Chairperson and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Faction Leader, Utut Adianto, emphasized that PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri had insisted the revision must not lead to the revival of the military’s dual function.  

"Ibu (Megawati) simply wants to ensure that the dual function does not return and that civilian supremacy remains upheld," Utut stated at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as quoted by Antara.

Utut stated that Megawati does not want the revision of the TNI Law to bring back the nuances of the New Order. In other words, the TNI should not be too strong, and the state tends to be militaristic. According to him, Megawati also urged the government to pay more attention to the welfare of the TNI soldiers.

According to him, the PDI-P seeks to maintain civilian supremacy in the revision of the TNI Law. However, he emphasized that this struggle is not only carried out by his party but also by other parties in the parliament.

"Every goodness is the same, other parties also do the same. However, if Bu Megawati wants to ensure that it does not return to the New Order, the concept of the TNI becomes very strong and militaristic," said the member of parliament who sits on the commission for defense, foreign affairs, communication and informatics, and intelligence.

Previously, the Chairwoman of the DPP PDIP, Puan Maharani, said that her party had a different stance from the discussion on the revision of the TNI Law in 2024. In the past, PDIP had rejected the revision of the TNI Law.

"(The rejection) was before we discussed it together," she said at the Senayan Parliament complex, Jakarta on Monday, March 17, 2025.

According to her, the TNI Law discussed by Commission I and the government will not revive the dual function of the military as in the New Order era. Furthermore, she also emphasized that the legislative had involved public participation in the discussion process.

"There are no longer any suspicions of violations," said the Chairwoman.

She also stated that her party's faction in the https://en.tempo.co/tag/dprDPR will continue to monitor the discussion of this TNI Law until its implementation.

"The presence of the PDI-P is actually to correct if there are things that are not in accordance," said Puan.

Hammam Izzuddin contributed to the writing of this article.

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