Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s military commander, General Agus Subiyanto, has revealed that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is planning to recruit individuals with disabilities as soldiers. Agus expressed hope that this initiative would provide opportunities for all citizens to serve in the military.
“Every citizen has the right to become a soldier, albeit with different recruitment criteria,” Agus stated during the TNI leadership meeting at the TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Friday, January 31, 2025, as reported by Kompas.
Agus cited the Indonesian National Police (Polri) as an example, noting that the police force has already started recruiting individuals with disabilities. “The police now have a training program that allows individuals with disabilities to become officers,” he said.
The recruitment plan is still in the evaluation phase, particularly concerning the roles that would be assigned to disabled personnel. “We will establish a working group to assess whether TNI should also open recruitment for individuals with disabilities,” Agus explained.
Beyond recruiting people with disabilities, Agus highlighted the need for personnel with specialized skills. He announced that TNI would also enlist civilians with expertise in cybersecurity.
Additionally, TNI plans to recruit career officers from fields such as medicine, psychology, and law. “Their training will differ from that of graduates from military academies,” Agus said.
Following National Police Footstep
The Indonesian military is considering this initiative following the footsteps of the national police force, which has already started hiring individuals with disabilities in the past year.
The legal framework for this recruitment is based on several regulations, including Law No. 20 of 2023 and three ministerial decrees (Nos. 27, 28, and 29 of 2021) issued by the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB).
According to Inspector General Dedi Prasetyo, Assistant to the Chief of Police for Human Resources, individuals with disabilities in the police force are assigned to roles in information technology, cybersecurity, finance, planning, and administration—non-field positions that align with their abilities.
“We are following the examples set by developed nations such as Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, where police forces have long included officers with disabilities,” Dedi stated on Monday (February 26, 2024).
Social Affairs Minister’s Response
Indonesia’s Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf (commonly known as Gus Ipul), welcomed the TNI’s plan to recruit people with disabilities.
“This is an extraordinary initiative. We are grateful to the TNI commander for opening opportunities for individuals with disabilities,” Gus Ipul said at the Ministry of Social Affairs building in Jakarta on Friday, as reported by TribunNews.
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He noted that this initiative aligns with Indonesia’s Disability Law (Law No. 8 of 2016), which mandates that government institutions allocate at least 2% of their workforce to individuals with disabilities, while the private sector must allocate 1%.
If implemented, the TNI’s recruitment initiative would mark a significant step toward greater inclusivity in Indonesia’s security forces.
(Raidi/Agung)
