Jakarta, Indonesia – President Prabowo Subianto is expected to announce the members of a dedicated Police Reform Team this week, following calls for evaluation and restructuring of the Indonesian National Police. The President signaled his agreement to establish the team during a meeting with representatives from the People’s Conscience Movement at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, September 11, 2025.
Gomar gultom, former Chair of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) and a participant in the meeting, stated the team’s formation is a direct response to ”considerable” public demand for police reform. “The President will soon establish a team or commission for police reform,” Gultom said following the three-hour discussion.
The People’s Conscience Movement urged President Prabowo to evaluate and reorganize police leadership and policies,aiming to eliminate repressive actions and uphold human rights and constitutional rights. While President Prabowo reportedly has a concept for reform, observers caution against superficial changes.
Bambang Rukminto, a police observer from the institute for security and Strategic Studies (ISESS), emphasized that simply replacing the Chief of the Indonesian National Police would be insufficient. “If the establishment of the Police Reform Team is only to expedite the replacement of the Chief of Police without addressing the more substantial problems within the Indonesian National Police organization, it is nothing more than pie in the sky,” Rukminto stated in a written statement on Friday, September 12, 2025.
Rukminto advocates for a thorough overhaul of the police institution, prioritizing revisions to the Police Law to foster a professional, independent, and accountable organization.
