Expert Rated The Reserve Component as Incorrect, Asks to Prioritize Strengthening Forces' Weapon System

Andi Saputra – detikNews
Tuesday, October 26th, 2021 10:30 WIB

Detik.com Jakarta - Al Araf, The expert which was presented by the applicant, stated that the Reserve Components (Komcad) are not appropriate and relevant to the times. Currently the military is more likely to maximize modern technology in maintaining the sovereignty of its country.

"Your Honor, in this era of globalization and in the era of the new generation of warfare, countries in the world focus more on the importance of strengthening modern technology and professional soldiers as decisive factors for victory in war," said Al Araf. .

This was conveyed in a trial at the Constitutional Court (MK) and stated in the minutes of the trial which was launched on the MK website, Tuesday (26/10/2021). The applicants in this judicial review trial include Imparsial, Kontras, and the Public Policy Foundation. They asked for the Reserve Components in Law Number 23 of 2019 concerning Management of National Resources for National Defense to be abolished.

“Especially in the face of asymmetric warfare, which is developing, the development of a professional army is much more important. In the current decade, conflicts that developed after the cold war show more conflicts that occur within countries than conflicts between countries," said Al Araf.

In a trend like this, said Al Araf, the role of the army, police, and intelligence professionals is certainly a top priority to build instead of building a reserve component or military service in the near future. Ensuring political justice, economic justice, and legal justice is of course also a more important homework to be realized in minimizing conflicts within the country.

"More than that, the development of the establishment of international legal institutions and mechanisms and their judiciary as well as the development of regional areas such as the ASEAN Community in Southeast Asia will certainly have an effect on the less use of war methods in resolving disputes between countries. In the current trend, conflicts between countries tend to be resolved by means of diplomacy, dialogue, or through international legal mechanisms, such as international courts," explained Al Araf.

According to Al Araf, the government's need to build its defense force should be aimed at strengthening the main tools of its weapons system and ensuring the welfare of its soldiers.

"As is known, the strength of our current defense equipment is still far from ideal, as well as the welfare of the soldiers, not yet fully guaranteed. In that context, the government should be more effective and efficient in prioritizing the very limited defense sector budget to strengthen defense equipment and improve the welfare of soldiers, rather than rushing to form a reserve component," said Al Araf.

Besides Al Araf, there were other experts, namely Bhatara Ibnu Reza and Aan Eko Widianto. For Aan, he highlighted the inclusion of the National Police in the Reserve Component.

"So, placing members of the National Police as a supporting component, as well as trained citizens, is very inappropriate. Because, as we know, in the explanation, it is called trained people or trained citizens in letter b, trained citizens, while the Police in letter a, one of them is security guard, then linmas, hansip, and mass organizations, members of mass organizations. So, the police are united with a group that is actually not in accordance with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution as the main power,” said Aan.

In that trial, the 9 constitutional judges did not ask or dig deeper into the expert's statements.

“For the next trial, we will hear statements from three experts first, yes, witnesses later, from the Petitioner. Therefore, the trial is postponed to Tuesday, November 23, 2021, at 11.00 WIB with the agenda of hearing the statements of three experts from the Petitioners," said Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman.