Latest news with #Sjafrie
Asia News Network
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Asia News Network
Indonesia, Singapore agree to enhance defence ties, including cyber
July 24, 2025 JAKARTA – Indonesia and Singapore have agreed to intensify defense cooperation by increasing joint exercises between their land, sea, air and cyber forces, among other measures, as the two neighbors grapple with navigating the current geopolitical landscape. The enhanced bilateral defense cooperation was agreed on Tuesday at the Defense Ministry in Central Jakarta, where Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Vice Adm. Aaron Beng, Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), met on the sidelines of the annual dialogue between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the SAF. Following a stately ceremony to welcome the SAF chief, Sjafrie and Beng discussed practical methods of strengthening the two countries' security ties during their closed-door meeting. According to a statement from the Defense Ministry after the meeting, the agreement is expected to boost the two countries' defense capabilities and support regional security. 'The ministry is optimistic that military interaction between the two countries will only play a more significant role in the future and enhance human resources for both sides,' it said. Volatile geopolitical tensions and a rise in global conflicts in recent years have spooked Southeast Asian countries into bulking up their militaries. Among these efforts, Jakarta and Singapore agreed in 2022 to intensify their security partnership by finalizing the long-awaited defense cooperation agreement (DCA). Indonesia has struggled to modernize and improve its defense capabilities, including in digital space, and is now setting its sights on beefing up its cyber defense capacities with Singapore, which consistently ranks among the world's best in cybersecurity. 'We discussed opportunities in cyber defense,' Defense Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Wenas Inkiriwang said on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara. In its statement, the ministry emphasized that the two neighbors remained steadfast in their commitment to regional stability as the highest priority, underlining the need for dialogue and cooperation to maintain peace and stability in Southeast Asia. Prior to his meeting with Sjafrie, Beng attended the 26th Indonesia-Singapore Combined Annual Report Meeting (CARM-INDOSIN), where the two countries' military leaders held talks on an upcoming strategic agenda and a performance evaluation, as well as enhanced collaboration for intelligence and interoperability. During the CARM-INDOSIN high-level committee session on Tuesday, Beng said the two countries must continue to intensify their cooperation while upholding mutual respect. 'This forum has strengthened our commitment to continue collaborating in building regional stability, as well as deepen the two countries' strategic understanding,' he said.
The Star
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Indonesian military's new pharma role sparks fears of expanded powers
FILE PHOTO: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivers his speech during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, January 11, 2025. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/File Photo JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia's military will begin manufacturing medicines for public distribution under a new agreement, officials said on Tuesday, in the latest expansion of the armed forces' role in civilian affairs since President Prabowo Subianto took office. The president, a former defence minister and special forces commander, has expanded the powerful military's role in civic affairs since taking office last year - including running much of his flagship project to serve free school meals. In March, parliament, dominated by Prabowo's coalition, also passed a revision to military law that allows more civilian posts to be occupied by soldiers, sparking protests by student and activist groups. The moves have dismantled some of the safeguards put in place after authoritarian leader General Suharto was overthrown in 1998 and raised fears of a return to an era when the armed forces were allowed to crush dissent and dominate public life. Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin late on Tuesday signed an agreement with the food and drug agency for laboratories operated by the army, navy, and air force, which previously supplied medicines for soldiers, to begin manufacturing drugs for public use. "We are thinking of ways to lower the price even more so we could provide free medicines," Sjafrie told reporters. Mass production will begin in October and the medicines will be distributed to villages across Indonesia at 50% below the retail price, Sjafrie said. Military involvement is expected to curb the flow of illegal medicines and fight the "mafia" in the medical industry, said the drug agency's head Taruna Ikrar. But rights groups have said that the agreement was unlawful as it brought serving military officials into civilian business positions -- prohibited under military law. "This is a symptom of how the government has shifted into authoritarianism," said Usman Hamid from Amnesty International Indonesia. The military and Prabowo's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The medicines will be distributed by 80,000 state-backed cooperatives launched by Prabowo on Monday, Sjafrie said. Prabowo's cooperatives were set up to boost economic activity and cut out middlemen by providing services directly to the general public including giving loans and selling medicines and staple foods. The defence minister has also signed another agreement with the health ministry to build hospitals staffed by military doctors and nurses in conflict areas, including Papua province, where a low-level insurgency has battled for independence for decades. (Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
Barnama
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Indonesia, France To Sign Defence Deal During Macron's Visit
By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar JAKARTA, May 28 (Bernama) -- Indonesia and France seek to deepen their strategic defence ties with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Jakarta on Wednesday, officials said. The agreement aims to expand cooperation in defence, particularly in the area of strategic weapons systems, Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said in a statement after welcoming Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron. bootstrap slideshow 'We will be enhancing defence cooperation, especially in relation to strategic defence equipment,' Sjafrie said. As part of his three-day visit ending on Thursday, Macron is scheduled to travel to the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java, where he will inspect French language training facilities for Indonesian military personnel. 'He will visit the French language laboratory used by soldiers, officers, and non-commissioned officers of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). Many of them are already fluent,' Sjafrie added. Macron's aircraft touched down in Jakarta at around 10 am local time on Tuesday and was received with a ceremonial welcome. His visit marks a renewed effort to boost bilateral ties across key strategic sectors, with defence high on the agenda. -- BERNAMA
The Star
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Indonesian Defence Ministry's plan to jump into pharma draws ire
JAKARTA: The Indonesian Defence Ministry's plan to establish a pharmaceutical factory to produce and distribute medicine through pharmacy cooperatives in villages across the country has been met with concern. It is feared that the initiative may violate the military's professionalism and do little to solve problems plaguing Indonesia's pharmaceutical sector. The plan was first announced by Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin during a meeting with House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defence and foreign affairs in Jakarta on April 30. Also attending the meeting was Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen Agus Subiyanto. Sjafrie said at the meeting that the plan was raised after hearing complaints about high medicine prices in Indonesia compared to other countries. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin claimed last year that certain medicines in Indonesia sometimes cost up to five times more than in Singapore or Malaysia. 'We have revitalised the pharmaceutical laboratories within the armed forces into a single factory assigned to support the national defence of medicine,' the minister said during the recorded meeting. The military's pharmaceutical factory was developed to create a more inclusive pharmaceutical ecosystem, according to Defence Ministry spokesperson Brig Gen Frega Wenas Inkiriwang. 'For the plan, we will prioritise essential, widely beneficial and accessible health needs, while supporting grassroots-level pharmacy cooperatives,' Frega told The Jakarta Post on Saturday (May 3). The initial steps toward the plan, he added, included mapping and utilising the TNI's existing laboratory infrastructure across its three branches: the Army, Navy and Air Force. The plan will focus on synchronising and optimising these resources, 'with an emphasis on efficiency and sustainability without the need for new infrastructure,' Frega went on to say. Sjafrie said at the House Commission I meeting that the Defence Ministry would work with the Health Ministry to supply medicines produced by the military laboratory through cooperatives across villages. The said cooperatives were the ones established under the Red and White Village Cooperative Programme, in which President Prabowo Subianto ordered the creation of 80,000 cooperatives across the country as part of his national development strategy. The instruction was stipulated in a presidential instruction (Inpres) issued in March. Among the programme's aims were to strengthen food self-sufficiency, promote economic equality and push for self-reliant villages in pursuit of the Indonesia Emas (Golden Indonesia) 2045 vision, the nation's aim to become an advanced and prosperous one by its centennial. The village cooperative initiative, projected to cost Rp 400 trillion (US$24 billion), will be financed through state, regional and village budgets. Each unit is then expected to provide essential goods, savings and loans, clinics, pharmacies, cold storage, warehousing and logistics services. Military observer Khairul Fahmi from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) said that the plan for the Defence Ministry and TNI to be involved in drug production could be strategic intervention by the state to solve the issue of high prices and unequal distribution of medicines. However, the plan should focus on public service instead of profit making so that it does not compromise the TNI's professionalism, he warned. Khairul questioned product distribution through cooperatives, which could open room for commercialisation. 'Don't let the TNI's goodwill in producing and distributing the drugs kill business firms that must adhere to strict regulations and market mechanisms,' Khairul said. 'State intervention should correct and complement the system, not replace the old and legitimate firms.' Bhima Yudhistira, executive director of the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), concurred, saying that the military could breach its main duty and function should it seek profit from the drug plan. He added that issues plaguing the national pharmaceutical industry are, among others, high credit interest rates for technology purchases and patent monopoly by multinational pharmaceutical companies that hinder local manufacturers to compete. Another issue is the national industry's heavy reliance on imported raw materials, which made up to 90 per cent of components used in domestic drug production. The imported materials, whose price is affected by the state of rupiah, have put local medicine manufacturers such as private firm PT Kalbe Farma and state-owned PT Kimia Farma under pressure. 'If the government wants to help the local pharmaceutical industry, it should focus on solving these fundamental issues, not replacing the existing firms,' Bhima said. Also in the April 30 meeting, the Defence Ministry raised a plan to improve military hospital services by increasing the number of specialist doctors. The ministry sought to recruit professionals from abroad in addition to relying on 75 graduates of the first cohort of the military medical undergraduate programme in the Indonesia Defense University's (Unhan) medical school. Sjafrie also emphasised the importance of improving soldiers' welfare, proposing to increase daily food and operational allowances for troopers, especially those stationed in high-risk areas. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indonesia begins debate on allowing soldiers to take civilian posts
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's government on Tuesday introduced in a parliamentary committee a watered-down version of contentious legislation that would enable President Prabowo Subianto to appoint military personnel to civilian posts, officials said. After a landslide election victory last year, Prabowo, a former military officer, has quickly expanded the armed forces' role, triggering alarm in a country that was once dominated by an all-powerful military. A new draft of the law, first proposed earlier this year, added a proviso that soldiers filling civilian posts must first resign from service, Indonesia's Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters after the first hearing on the legislation by a parliamentary commission. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. This changes a previous draft by which Prabowo could appoint active officers anywhere in the government, said lawmaker TB Hasanuddin, a member of the country's largest party, after attending the hearing. That draft caused concern among activists and students that expanded military roles in civilian functions would bring back a Suharto-era doctrine called "dwifungsi" (dual function) that allowed the armed forces to crush dissent and dominate public life. "Any military officer to be assigned in ministry or state agency must retire... We could only propose them to (be assigned) in ministry or state agency after the retirement," Sjafrie said. Active soldiers are still allowed to take civilian posts in the defence ministry, state intelligence agency, anti-narcotics and search and rescue agencies, as under the existing law. Sjafrie said the government expected the new legislation to be passed this month. The bill, which amends the country's military laws, would also extend the retirement age for active soldiers by two to five years. Ardi Manto Adiputra, director of Indonesian rights group Imparsial, said the new proposal meant the government took into account public criticism about the expanded role for the military. He warned, however, that the government must ensure all active soldiers in civilian jobs resign, including the president's cabinet secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya.
