Polri Under Ministry Narrative Aims to Weaken Prabowo: DPR RI Member

Indonesian Lawmaker Claims Narrative of Polri Under Ministry Designed to Undermine Prabowo

Jakarta – A narrative suggesting the Indonesian National Police (Polri) should be placed under the authority of a ministry is intentionally being circulated to weaken President-elect Prabowo Subianto, according to Komisi III DPR RI Chairman Habiburokhman. He believes this narrative originates from individuals who have historically opposed Prabowo.

“the narrative of Polri being under a ministry is deliberately created to undermine President Prabowo and also the Indonesian state,” Habiburokhman stated on Sunday, February 1, 2026, as reported by Detik.com.

Habiburokhman argued that removing direct presidential control over Polri would diminish the president’s authority and lengthen the chain of command. “If Polri is not directly controlled by the President, the President’s power will be significantly reduced and the chain of command will become much longer. It will be more difficult for President Prabowo to convey policy direction to the police,” he explained.

He asserted that the narrative isn’t coming from genuine supporters of Prabowo, but rather from those who have previously been at odds with him. “This narrative is also ahistorical and misguided,” he added.

Habiburokhman emphasized that the current positioning of Polri under the President is a mandate of the Indonesian reforms (Reformasi). He described it as a correction of past practices where Polri functioned merely as a repressive apparatus of power.

“It is said to be ahistorical because the position of Polri under the President, as it is now, is precisely a commitment of the Reform era as stipulated in Article 30 paragraph (4) of the 1945 Constitution and MPR Decree Number VII/MPR/2000. This is the result of the formulation of our leaders at the beginning of the reform era as a form of correction to previous practices where Polri was merely a repressive apparatus of power,” he said.

Habiburokhman characterized the narrative as misguided, arguing that it fails to address the core issues. “It is said to be a misguided narrative because there is no relevance between the issues being raised and the solutions offered. Many of the issues concern the culture of individuals who often commit violations, but the solution offered is to reposition it under a ministry,” he stated.