Chairperson of Commission I (defense, foreign affairs, intelligence, communications and informatics) Meutya Viada Hafid stated on Friday that the involvement of Indonesian Military (TNI) in the implementation of new normal policies did not mean that it reigned supremacy over civilians. The top command chief of the new normal implementation was still in the hand of civil government.

She made that statement when giving her presentation on challenges and opportunities in involving TNI in facing new normal protocol in a webinar themed “the Preparation in Facing New Normal”, held by the Communication and Informatics Ministry using a video conferencing app Zoom, Friday (5/6/2020). The Vice Chairperson of Commission III (law, human rights and security) of the House Adies Kadir and the Ministry’s director general for public information and communication Widodo Muktiyo were also present in the webinar opened by the Communication and Informatics Minister, Johnny G. Plate.

According to the woman politician from the Golkar Party, the position of TNI in the implementation of the new normal protocol was merely to help the government, especially regional governments and the National Police (Polri) in enforcing compliance and discipline towards the health protocols among the people in preventing the spread of COVID-19. “The involvement of TNI in the implementation of the new normal should be viewed thoroughly in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.” Hafid said.

“TNI has been involved long before the plan to implement the new normal protocol. It has been involved since the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19 when it helped evacuate Indonesian students trapped in lockdown in Wuhan City, China and distribute medical equipment to various areas in Indonesia.” Hafid said.

Constitutionally speaking, added the North Sumatra legislator, the involvement of TNI in the new normal phase is in accordance with the prevailing Law Number 34 of 2004, specifically article 7 paragraph 2 (b), which stipulates the military’s main tasks in military operations other than war (MOOTW).

"I don't think we should be concerned about the military involvement. Indonesia is not the only country that involves its military in fighting COVID-19. Other democratic western countries like the UK and Italy also mobilize support from their armed forces in handling the pandemic," he explained.

The statement was echoed by Vice Chairperson of Commission III Adies Kadir. He said that, from a security perspective, the role of Polri in the implementation of new normal protocols was an attempt to protect security and ensure people to become more disciplined to follow health protocols in the new normal. The Golkar Party politician believed that Polri would impose persuasive measures for health protocol violations.

“Much of the success of the new normal policy does not depend on how many officers that are deployed nor regulations that are made, but it depends mostly on our self-awareness about the importance of our own health”, Kadir said. The Legislator of East Java constituency also added that in this era of information openness, people could see openly discipline exercised by TNI and Polri in upholding professionalism enabling them to assume social control over the TNI and Polri openly.(ann/sf)