Our Hope for General Idham Azis

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - General Idham Azis has become Indonesia's police chief since early November 2019 after President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated him at the State Palace on Friday amid many serious challenges that the country is currently facing.

He took his oath of office at the State Palace a day after the House of Representatives' (DPR's) plenary session approved his installment as the police chief to replace Tito Karnavian on Thursday.

However, the tour of duty from General Tito Karnavian who has become the home affairs minister in the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin administration's Indonesia Onward Cabinet line-up since October 23, 2019 to Azis will officially be held on November 6.

General Idham Azis drew attention to President Jokowi's advice to him to continue working. "Mr President wants me to work, work, and work," Azis told journalists shortly after his inauguration at the State Palace.

"I thank Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala for His mercy and blessings, so this mandate is given to me. I also thank President Joko Widodo for trusting me to become the police chief," Azis stated.

He pledges to continue to work closely with the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) to maintain security and public order across the archipelago.

Among the serious challenges that the National Police need to handle professionally are those related to security condition in Papua and West Papua Provinces, unsolved case of acid attack on Novel Baswedan, and ongoing threats of cross-border drug rings.

In connection with security challenges in Papua and West Papua, the National Police are demanded to be able to protect all innocent people, including non-native Papuans, in the provinces from being brutally killed by armed Papuan criminal groups.

Despite the fact that these notorious armed criminals continue their campaigns of killing innocent civilians, particularly non-Papuan residents, over the past years, they are not called terrorists by the Indonesian authorities.

Instead, they are just grouped into "armed criminals" so that the way the law enforcement agencies use for handling them is not like the one ever applied in hunting Santoso and his men in the jungles of Poso, Central Sulawesi, through the Tinombala Operation 2016.

The recent Wamena rioting that claimed the lives of 33 innocent people, mostly non-native Papuans, really needs to be taken as a lesson for the entire nation, including the police and TNI as the agencies that are responsible for protecting all Indonesians.

Two days after the occurrence of Wamena rioting, again, a notorious group of armed Papuan criminals brutally killed civilians. This time, they killed three motorcycle taxi (Ojek) drivers in Sugapa Subdistrict, Intan Jaya District, Papua Province.

The incident that occurred on Oct. 25, has increased the list of innocent civilians killed by these armed Papuan criminals.

On September 26, they also executed two Ojek drivers, Alwi and Midung, near the Muara suspension bridge in Amnunggi Village, Ilaga Sub-district, Puncak District.

In addition to the security condition in Papua and West Papua, as the national police chief, General Idham Azis is also challenged to uncover the case of acid attack on senior investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Novel Baswedan.

This acid attack on Baswedan took place on April 11, 2017 but the assault that happened when he was heading home after performing Fajr, or the dawn prayer, at a mosque near his house has yet to get uncovered.

In fact, the acid attack has caused damage to Baswedan's eyes, and forced him to receive medical treatment in Jakarta and Singapore. This case of acid attack on Baswedan fueled deep concerns among community members.

Last not but least, drug trafficking activities involving Indonesians and foreign nationals are regarded as a serious crime that the police need to keep handling seriously because it really threatens the future of this nation.

According to the National Narcotics Agency's (BNN's) reports, some 50 Indonesians die of drug use daily. Many of them are those from working-age population.

The Indonesian police have been working hard to uncover drug cases. Recently, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, for instance, unearthed a Malaysia-Pekanbaru-Jakarta drug ring following a series of raids resulting in the arrests of four suspects and confiscation of 21 kilograms crystal methamphetamine.

Newly-instated Police Chief General Idham Azis is expected to be able to address those three above challenges because his success will enable Indonesia to move forward as one solid nation with bright and promising future.

ANTARA