President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has come clear in regards with the leadership change in the country’s top intelligence body, the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), which was held at the end of his term in office.
It has been reported that Deputy Minister of Defense, Army Lieutenant General (ret) Muhammad Herindra, will replace Police General (ret) Budi Gunawan as BIN chief.
“The appointment of Muhammad Herindra, who previously served as Deputy Minister of Defense, to become Head of BIN was made at the request of President-elect Prabowo Subianto,” Jokowi said as quoted by Antara upon inaugurating the Indrapura-Kisaran Toll Road in North Sumatra on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
He said that the letter on the leadership change in BIN that he approved was only administrative in nature because Herindra will be inaugurated along with the inauguration of Cabinet ministers on October 21, 2024.
“The new BIN Chief will be inaugurated together with the Cabinet ministers on the 21st of October. We have spoken about it with pak Prabowo. That was based on pak Prabowo’s statement,” the president said.
Jokowi has sent a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Puan Maharani, requesting consideration for the replacement of Budi Gunawan as BIN chief. The letter was received by the DPR on October 10, 2024.
Herindra has passed the fit and proper test that was carried out by members of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
The House’s approval was taken based on considerations by the DPR leadership along with a team of representatives from eight factions in the parliament over the feasibility examination results on Herindra.
House Speaker Puan Maharani said the results of Herindra’s feasibility test as a candidate for BIN Head will be approved in a Plenary Meeting on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
