The State Palace has affirmed that it will comply with a Constitutional Court (MK) ruling requiring members of the National Police (Polri) to resign or retire before taking positions in civilian institutions, a decision that carries significant implications for dozens of senior officers currently serving outside the police force.

In its landmark ruling No. 114/PUU-XXIII/2025, the court granted a petition filed by Syamsul Jahidin and Christian Sihite, declaring that Article 28(3) of Law No. 2/2002 on the National Police must be interpreted strictly: active police officers are prohibited from holding posts outside the force unless they first relinquish their status.

Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the Palace had not yet received the complete text of the ruling but stressed that compliance is mandatory.

“Once we receive the full ruling, we will study it. But as we all know, MK decisions are final and binding. Yes, of course they must be implemented,” Prasetyo said at the Parliament Complex on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

Pressed on whether the Palace would instruct the National Police chief to recall or release officers currently serving in civilian roles, Prasetyo said any steps taken would follow the law. “If those are the rules, then that is what must be followed,” he said.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said lawmakers would examine the ruling closely, especially the court’s interpretation of what constitutes assignments aligned with police functions.

“My understanding is that police officers may only be placed outside the institution for duties directly related to police functions, as defined in the Constitution,” Dasco said.

Any regulatory adjustments, he added, would require coordination between Polri, the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry, and other government bodies.

Asked whether the decision could trigger a revision of the Police Law, he said it was too early to conclude. “If we were to revise the law, it must be done jointly by the government and DPR. There have been no discussions yet. Perhaps in the near future we will review it together.”

A revision of the Police Law is already listed in the 2026 priority National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).

Senior officers potentially affected

The ruling is expected to affect several high-ranking officers currently assigned to civilian posts. Among them are:

• Commissioner General Rudy Heriyanto Adi Nugroho, Secretary-General of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry
• Commissioner General R.Z. Panca Putra Simanjuntak, Principal Secretary of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas)
• Commissioner General Nico Afinta, Secretary-General of the Law and Human Rights Ministry
• Commissioner General I Ketut Suardana, Inspector General of the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency
• Commissioner General Putu Jaya Danu Putra, Inspector General of the Trade Ministry
• Commissioner General Setyo Budiyanto, Chair of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)

Police: Awaiting official copy

The National Police said it respects the ruling but needs to examine its full content before determining its next move.

“We have not received the court’s written decision. However, the police always pay close attention to rulings that have been issued,” National Police spokesman Inspector General Sandi Nugroho, said on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

Sandi noted that external assignments have so far been regulated internally based on established criteria including requests from government institutions and approval from the National Police chief.

“Once we receive the decision, we will review it and determine what steps the police must take,” Sandi said.