An analyst has lent his support for the appointment of Lieutenant General (ret.) Muhammad Herindra as Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), describing the move as an important strategy to strengthen the agenda of the Prabowo Subianto administration.
Political and intelligence analyst, Boni Hargens, said that Herindra’s closeness to Prabowo is a guarantee of unquestionable loyalty, which is important for the new president as the main user of intelligence information.
“He (Herindra) is a military general who has sufficient competence and capabilities to lead the intelligence institution that coordinates the entire intelligence community in Indonesia,” Boni spoke to Indonesia Business Post in an interview on October 16, 2024.
Herindra was a 1987 graduate of the Indonesian Army Academy. He was a recipient of the Adhi Makayasa Award for being the best graduate in his Army Academy class.
Boni emphasized that Herindra’s experience as a high-ranking military officer is a major asset in leading BIN.
The appointment of Herindra as Head of BIN is seen as a continuation of the success achieved by his predecessorBudi Gunawan. Boni is optimistic that Herindra’s leadership will strengthen the progress that BIN has achieved in the last eight years.
“I am sure that the progress of the intelligence coordinating agency that pak Budi Gunawan has made over the last 8 years will continue to increase in the hands of the new Head of BIN,” he said.
The increasingly global dynamics, according to Boni, require the country’s readiness to respond to various external threats. In this context, BIN has a crucial role as the backbone of national security that coordinates cross-sectoral collaboration with various related institutions.
Domestic challenges are also expected to become increasingly complex in the future. In facing this complexity, intelligence acts as the “eyes and ears” of the country, providing early detection and early prevention efforts for various potential threats.
“Intelligence is the best eyes and ears of the country. Early detection and early prevention are the main tasks of intelligence,” said Boni.
With the appointment of Herindra, it is hoped that BIN will be increasingly resilient in facing challenges, both from within and outside the country. This step is believed to be a strong foundation for a more solid and adaptive government, especially in the context of global geopolitics that are full of uncertainty.
