By Prof. Henri Subiakto,
Professor of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Airlangga University and Expert Council of the Indonesian Cyber Media Union (SMSI)
President Prabowo is preparing a police reform agenda in response to public demands following the massive demonstrations in August 2025.
On September 17, 2025, Prabowo appointed Retired Commissioner General Ahmad Dofiri, a former Deputy Chief of Police known for his firmness, including having handled the Ferdy Sambo case and as Special Advisor to the President for Public Order and Security and Police Reform, before his inauguration, he had been specially promoted to the rank of Honorary Police General (four stars).
The appointment was accompanied by plans to establish a Police Reform Committee at the presidential level, involving external figures such as former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, for a comprehensive evaluation.
Meanwhile, National Police Chief Listyo Sigit responded quickly by establishing an internal Police Transformation and Reform Team on the same day through a Letter of Instruction. The team, comprised of 52 officers, is chaired by Commissioner General Chryshnanda Dwilaksana, with Listyo Sigit as protector and the Deputy Chief as advisor.
This incident reflects the complex political dynamics in Prabowo’s administration, the National Police reform efforts have become a test of the balance of power between the president, the National Police, the Solo gang and public demands.
The appointment of Dofiri, a credible figure from within the Indonesian National Police who is respected for his integrity (a 1989 graduate of the Adhi Makayasa Police Academy), is a strong signal that Prabowo wants to control the reform agenda directly from the Palace.
Politically, it will strengthen Prabowo’s image as a firm leader who wants to “cleanse” the Police institution of President Jokowi’s legacy (where Listyo was appointed because of his closeness since his time in Solo).
General Dofiri’s promotion can also be read as a political stance that chooses loyalists other than Listyo’s loyalists, considering that Dofiri is more senior and known to be firm and not part of the group developed by Listyo Sigit.
The formation of an internal police team just one day after Dofiri’s appointment has led to mixed interpretations. On the one hand, it’s seen as a proactive step by the National Police (Polri) to “reform itself” and be open to external input. However, it could also be interpreted as a defensive effort by Listyo’s group to maintain the current police structure.
This is an effort by the National Police leaders under General Listyo Sigit to prevent the president’s reforms from “disturbing” the hierarchical structure of the top Polri officers that Listyo Sigit has prepared and developed for quite some time.
This also tests the relationship between President Prabowo and National Police Chief Listyo Sigit, who appears cooperative by stating his readiness to follow the president’s policies, but on the other hand, he has formed a fairly large internal team that can be interpreted as an effort to protect the position of the National Police Chief and the police structure from possible radical recommendations from the team formed by the president.
Because if there are recommendations for radical structural changes, as requested by the National Conscience Movement, it certainly has the potential to trigger friction within the already strong National Police.
The internal team could mean “defense” for the current Indonesian National Police, amidst increasingly strong demands for reform from everywhere.
Police institutional reforms came after the 2024 elections, which left the impression of a strong police role in politics. This also stemmed from the stigma of police repression in handling demonstrations and free speech activities.
President Prabowo will be considered successful if he successfully implements reforms that restore trust in the police institution. However, if the president fails to do much, and the National Police Chief remains General Listyosigit or a candidate he has prepared, then Prabowo’s government will be seen as “unsolid” and indecisive, with more gossip and gossip.
This means that the development of this event is crucial as a sign of the solidity of the President’s power and his relationship with the police. Prabowo wants to reform the police through his policies, thus strengthening his support and legitimacy as president until 2029. However, this political desire seems to be unpopular. This is where Listyo Sigit and the forces behind him have emerged as equally responsive to the bottom-up role.
The biggest political significance is testing whether the Indonesian National Police can be reformed without internal conflict, or whether it will become an arena for a struggle for influence between the powerful groups of General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and Jokowi on the one hand, and “confronting” President Prabowo with the forces that want comprehensive police reform on the other.
OK, let’s monitor what the President will do and the progress of both teams over the next 2-3 weeks. Is there any synergy between them, or are they going their separate ways because they have different goals and initiators?
