Rahmat Hidayat – Former Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD criticized West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi's public reward initiative for capturing robbery suspects, warning that the policy risks encouraging vigilantism and weakening the state's responsibility to enforce the law.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Mahfud MD Official, Mahfud said the initiative should not have been introduced, arguing that law enforcement must remain the exclusive responsibility of state authorities.
"Mr. Yusril said it would be better not to do it. In my view, it should not be done," Mahfud said in remarks published on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
He warned that encouraging members of the public to pursue criminal suspects could create dangerous precedents.
"It should not be allowed because it could lead to anarchy in society," he said.
Mahfud argued that one of the fundamental purposes of establishing the modern state is to prevent citizens from administering justice themselves.
"In the past, before there was a state, people enforced their own rules through what was known as the law of the jungle. People caught someone and beat them. This proposal only softens that by saying, 'Catch them and hand them over.'"
He said the social contract underlying the formation of the state assigns responsibility for resolving criminal matters and protecting citizens' rights to government institutions.
"The state exists to resolve problems like these and to protect people's lives and human rights. Society should not create its own system of justice, no matter how angry we may be with robbers. It is especially dangerous when such statements come from public officials," Mahfud said.
The constitutional law expert also cautioned that public bounty initiatives increase the risk of mistaken identity, potentially exposing innocent people to violence before authorities can verify allegations.
"Someone could simply be walking down the street and suddenly be attacked after another person shouts 'thief,' even though that person has done nothing wrong. They could be beaten first and only afterward found to be innocent," he said.
Mahfud illustrated the risk by recounting a personal experience in which he was once falsely accused of stealing a mobile phone, saying the misunderstanding quickly escalated before the facts became clear.
He maintained that criminal enforcement should remain in the hands of trained law enforcement officers.
"You cannot ask people to capture others in the middle of the street. There must be law enforcement officers. If there are not enough officers, then recruit more. That is what it means to live under the rule of law," he said.