Prone to Misrepresentation, the Retired TNI Soldiers Forum is Not an Official Forum

By: Latea Latra

As a democratic country, Indonesia provides space for criticism and aspirations, but every political demand must follow basic legal principles and pay attention to national stability. The recent idea of ​​impeaching Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is a provocation that is not supported by serious reasons as required by the 1945 Constitution and has the potential to disrupt the new government order.

This polemic is rooted in the misrepresentation of the institution: the forum calls itself “retired TNI-Polri”, but in fact it is not an official forum for retirees in the Indonesian National Army. The Acting General Chair of the Indonesian Army Retired Association (PPAD), Major General (Ret.) Komaruddin Simanjuntak, emphasized that the forum’s eight demands are not statements that represent all Retired TNI AD. This affirmation is important to correct the impression that all retirees support Gibran’s impeachment or reject the government’s strategic programs.

PPAD—together with PEPABRI, LVRI, PPAL, PPAU, PP Polri, and PERIP—is recognized by the state as a legal entity. Komaruddin emphasized that PPAD is a forum for channeling aspirations and contributions of ideas from retired TNI AD. This means that official channels are available for retired officers to convey their views to the government, TNI, and the public. Thus, every statement from the forum outside the official structure should be positioned as a group opinion, not the institutional stance of the TNI as a whole.

In defense doctrine, the solidity of the TNI-Polri is the foundation of the integrity of the state. Misrepresentation of retired officers’ aspirations has the potential to be exploited by certain parties to divide the morale of active troops and reduce public trust. Komaruddin called on retired officers to maintain the honor, unity, and dignity of the TNI. This call is in line with the Sapta Marga and the code of ethics of warrior soldiers. If the forum’s statement is left without clarification, the public could conclude that there is a serious split within the military, when in fact the majority of retired officers support a constitutional government.

Komaruddin stated that, despite respecting the aspirations of fellow fighters, retirees are urged to carry out their service with the code of ethics of fighting soldiers—Sapta Marga, the Soldier’s Oath, and the Eight Obligations of the TNI. He quoted PPAD elder General Retired Widjojo Soejono who emphasized that new soldiers would stop fighting if they could no longer hear the salvo of gunfire beside their ears. This philosophy confirms the role of retirees as guardians of the nation’s integrity, not actors in political maneuvers that trigger fragmentation. In addition to PPAD, the collective statement of retirees across the military—joined in an official forum—also emphasized support for the Prabowo-Gibran government. Komaruddin mentioned five points of the retirees’ stance: first, only PEPABRI, LVRI, PPAD, PPAL, PPAU, PP Polri, and PERIP are legitimate representatives of the extended family of retirees; second, the solidarity of the TNI-Polri must continue to be maintained; third, even though retirees have completed their duties, their service to the nation is not over; fourth, retirees “fully support the government’s program in accordance with Asta Cita”; fifth, they invite the public to support national development. This attitude emphasizes that the movement to impeach Gibran is only the view of a small number of individual retirees, not the solid attitude of the TNI-Polri extended family.

The retiree forum included Gibran’s removal as the eighth point in the eight demands. They considered the Constitutional Court’s decision on the age requirements for vice presidential candidates to be morally invalid. However, Article 7B of the 1945 Constitution clearly requires that impeachment must be preceded by allegations of serious violations—such as treason or corruption—and decided by the Constitutional Court. Political observer Hendri Satrio warned that this path is long and winding. Calling for impeachment without a strong legal basis will only create noise, disrupt political stability, and weaken the national defense agenda.

The performance of the defense sector is closely related to political legitimacy. The program to modernize defense equipment, improve soldier welfare, and strengthen the independence of the defense industry requires a stable political climate. The issue of impeaching the Vice President in the first year of government actually creates strategic uncertainty: defense industry investors are holding back, foreign partners are confused about reading policy directions, and potential enemies are testing readiness. Maintaining legitimate civil-military leadership is an integral part of defense strategy.

The retired military forum can actually submit objections through an audience mechanism with the Presidential Advisory Council or Commission I of the DPR. If the objection is of a legal nature, a judicial review can be taken to the Constitutional Court; if it is of a policy nature, convey it through structured dialogue. Such steps demonstrate the maturity of democracy and consistency with the Sapta Marga guidelines: loyal to the constitution, not to group interests.