TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Mahfudz Siddiq, chairman of the Defense Committee of the House of Representatives (DPR), called for the state defense program proposed by the Defense Ministry to be postponed. “It should be delayed so that it wouldn’t cause unnecessary controversy,” said Mahfudz on Monday.
Mahfudz said the state defense program had been discussed before by the government and the DPR. However, it never went into implementation and was merely talks. Mahfudz instead questioned why the news currently circulating is different from what had been discussed.
The Defense Commission had discussed the state defense program. The budget for the program was decided at Rp90 billion. The program is an outreach program to the people so that they have the awareness to defend the state. “I would agree if it’s in this context,” said Mahfudz.
With changes in the state defense activities, Mahfudz said there needed to be new law because the program is for education, consolidation and mass mobilization.
The state defense program proposed by Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu is planned to be launched this month by President Joko Widodo. The program is based on the 1945 Constitution.
MAWARDAH NUR HANIFIYANI
