Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Chief of Defense Force of the Singapore Armed Forces, Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, discussed potential cyber defense cooperation during a meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Brig. Gen. Frega Ferdinand Wenas Inkiriwang, head of the ministry's defense information bureau, said that Indonesia is eager to learn from Singapore, whose cyber defense capabilities are considered highly advanced.
"We want to learn from Singapore, and Singapore is also willing to share its knowledge, as it has emerged as a new force in the cyber domain," Inkiriwang told reporters.
Singapore established the Digital Intelligence Service (DIS) in 2022 as the fourth service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), on par with its land, sea, and air forces.
While Inkiriwang did not provide specific details about the planned cooperation, it is expected to support not only the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) but also the broader national cyber defense infrastructure, with a focus on protecting strategic data assets.
Indonesia had previously floated the idea of forming a Cyber Division as the fourth branch of the TNI. Discussions on the proposal took place near the end of President Joko Widodo’s term, involving the House of Representatives (DPR), the Ministry of Defense, and the TNI leadership.
However, the current administration has yet to move forward with the proposal.
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Translator: Arie Novarina
Editor: Anton Santoso
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