Jakarta (ANTARA) -
President Prabowo Subianto said that soldiers deserve the best leaders, stressing that leadership selection in the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) should be based on merit rather than seniority.
He made the statement during his speech at the commemoration of the TNI’s 80th anniversary at the National Monument (Monas) field in Jakarta on Sunday.
"I allow the TNI Commander and the Chiefs of Staff to adopt a merit-based system in leadership selection, where seniority is not the only factor. What truly matters are achievement, dedication, and love for the country," he said before TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto, Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak, Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali, and Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal M. Tonny Harjono.
Prabowo emphasized that the TNI, as both the frontline and the final line of defense, requires strong and capable leadership.
"On behalf of the state, the nation, and the people, I remind all TNI leaders to continue developing themselves and to set an example. Leadership in the TNI must be exemplary. There is no room for incompetence or unprofessionalism," he underlined.
He added that he has instructed the TNI Commander and the three service chiefs to regularly evaluate leadership performance within the ranks.
"Our soldiers deserve and demand the best leadership," Prabowo remarked.
On the same occasion, he also urged TNI personnel to continuously improve their skills and knowledge.
"Beyond readiness to face any situation, TNI personnel must keep developing, training, and enhancing their expertise while staying updated with technological advances," he said.
President Prabowo led the commemoration ceremony at 8 a.m. local time, attended by more than 133,000 TNI soldiers.
The TNI also deployed 1,047 defense assets from its three branches — the Army, Navy, and Air Force — to participate in the ceremony and the military parade at Silang Monas.
