Our discipline is now weak. I urge the military and police leadership to be the example of national discipline to residents and also to improve internal disciplineJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday asked Indonesian military and police officers to refrain from meddling in democracy as that might compromise discipline.
"Soldiers and police cannot meddle in democracy. No lower-ranking officers should feel free, (feel) different from their superiors, no," he said during the annual joint military and police leadership meeting at the National Defence Forces Headquarters in East Jakarta.
He urged military and police officers to improve national discipline.
"Our discipline is now weak. I urge the military and police leadership to be the example of national discipline to residents and also to improve internal discipline," he remarked.
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He also highlighted that military and police discipline is distinct from civilian discipline.
"Regarding democracy, there is none in the military and police . We need to improve discipline on this issue to ensure residents can see that we are moving to enhance the national discipline," the President said.
Military and police discipline not only applies to officers but also to their family members, he added.
"The discipline not only applies to a mother or father who works (in the military or the police) but also extends to (family members at their) home. Wives of officers must have equal discipline as their husbands. They must not carelessly invite any cleric they want in the name of democracy," the President said, mentioning inviting radical clerics as an example.
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Military and police discipline must be coordinated by respective units to prevent a decline in discipline among officers and their spouses, he added.
He also emphasized the importance of discipline in using WhatsApp Group among the military and the police.
Officers must not question government decisions that have been decided through democratic means, such as the decision to relocate the national capital to East Kalimantan, Widodo said.
"How can officers question the capital relocation then say they disagree to it? The government has decided it, and the Parliament has agreed to it -- this must not be debated further according to military and police discipline," he added.
The President pointed out that military and police officers follow a distinct discipline that is incorporated in their institutional code of conduct.
"Undivided loyalty is paramount (for military and police officers)," he remarked.
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Translator: Desca Lidya N, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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