Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto officially established a commission meant to reform the police force on Friday, about two months after the country saw massive protests triggered by cop brutality.
Three members of the 10-strong group are ex-police chiefs. The same goes for the incumbent police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. The team also includes Mahfud MD, who was the legal affairs tsar under Ex-President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. He was also Prabowo's election rival, becoming the running mate to presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo. Jimly Asshiddiqie, the former chief justice of the Constitutional Court, chairs the freshly minted commission.
According to Jimly, the team is expected to report its findings to the president in about 3 months from now. The report will include inputs from various stakeholders on what Indonesia can do to improve its police force and regain the public trust. If necessary, the commission is open to proposing regulatory changes.
"What needs to be reformed? We will see. If needed, we will make amendments to the law," Jimly told the press.
He admitted that the August protests were what prompted Prabowo to set up the commission. He signaled that Prabowo wanted these evaluations to not only be limited to the police force alone, but also "government agencies established in the post-reformation era".
"The police force is one example, in response to the growing public demand, especially with what happened in August," Jimly said, referring to the protests.
In late August, Indonesia witnessed one of its deadliest protests, which centered on the public dissatisfaction over economic inequality. Calls were mounting for police reforms after a mobile brigade police tactical vehicle ran over an online motorcycle taxi driver. The driver Affan Kurniawan was on a food delivery job in the area of protest in Jakarta. The riots dramatically grew in size following Affan's death.
The following are the members of the police reform commission:
1. Jimly Asshiddiqie (Former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court)
2. Mahfud MD (Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security affairs)
3. Yusril Ihza Mahendra (Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections)
4. Supratman Andi Agtas (Minister of Law and Human Rights)
5. Otto Hasibuan (Deputy Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections)
6. Tito Karnavian (Minister of Home Affairs and Former National Police Chief)
7. Idham Aziz (Former National Police Chief)
8. Badrodin Haiti (Former National Police Chief)
9. Ahmad Dofiri (Special Advisor to the President on Public Order and Police Reform)
10. Listyo Sigit Prabowo (Current National Police Chief)
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/prabowo-forms-police-reform-commission-after-nationwide-protest