The Possibility of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) Filling Civil Servant (ASN) Positions: What is Public Opinion?

The Indonesian government is drafting a Government Regulation (RPP) concerning the management of civil servants (ASN). This RPP would allow active members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to fill ASN positions, and vice versa.

Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Abdullah Azwar Anas stated that this regulation is reciprocal and will be subject to strict selection. "We will obtain the best talent from the TNI/Polri, and they will receive the best ASN," Anas said in a statement reported by *Kompas.com* on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.

What is public opinion on this proposal?

A Kompas Research and Development (Litbang Kompas) poll reveals a divided public opinion. A majority of respondents (50.2%) disagree with the proposal allowing active TNI/Polri members to fill civil service positions; 41.1% strongly disagree and 9.1% disagree.

Conversely, 46.9% of respondents agree with the proposal; 41.1% agree and 5.8% strongly agree.

However, a larger percentage of respondents (55%) disagree with ASN filling TNI/Polri positions, while 37.2% agree.

"This shows that the public generally believes there should be a clear division of labor between civilian and non-civilian institutions," said Kompas Litbang researcher Gianie in a report on Monday, April 1, 2024.

The Kompas Litbang survey involved 505 randomly selected respondents using a stratified systematic sampling method across 38 Indonesian provinces.

Data collection was conducted from March 18-20, 2024, through telephone interviews. The margin of error is approximately 4.36% with a 95% confidence level, under conditions of simple random sampling.