April 23, 2026 | 07:30 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Defense has officially taken over the management of all heroes' cemeteries (TMP) previously managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. The transfer of authority was done through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two ministries on April 1, 2026.
The Director General of Defense Potential at the Ministry of Defense, Rear Admiral Sri Yanto, stated that the transfer of management rights for these historical sites aims to streamline bureaucracy. He explained that management authority was previously under the Ministry of Social Affairs, while the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) carried out various protocol-related management tasks. "So, it has been transferred to the Ministry of Defense for better integration and as a comprehensive package," said Sri when met at the Ministry of Defense office in Jakarta on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Thus, as of April 1, all activities and utilization of TMP are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense. According to Sri, under the Ministry of Defense, the utilization of TMP will be expanded. The Ministry plans to open TMP to the public as a means of education and national defense awareness. "From there, the services of the heroes can be explored so that the public can be proud of their own country," he said.
Sri mentioned the first step that the Ministry of Defense will take after taking over TMP is revitalization. "The easiest substance of management is to revitalize the heroes' cemetery and provide sites for future learning," he said.
Although the transfer to the Ministry of Defense has been formalized through an agreed-upon MoU by both institutions, Sri stated that, according to the law, the management of TMP still belongs to the Ministry of Social Affairs. He mentioned that the change in the Law regulating the management of TMP under Law Number 11 of 2009 concerning Social Welfare is still in process.
According to Sri's statement, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Social Affairs have also met with the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately change the policy. "We have communicated with the DPR to discuss this issue, but it will take time to amend the law," he said.
Previously, Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf stated that the management transfer would be effective starting April 1, 2026. However, the Ministry of Social Affairs will still provide funding support for management activities until the Ministry of Defense has its own budget through the law amendment.
"The funding for maintenance and various other things is backed up until the Ministry of Defense has its own budget," said Saifullah on Friday, March 13, 2026.
The Ministry of Social Affairs has managed a total of 217 TMPs, including TMP Kalibata, TMP National Kusumanegara Yogyakarta, TMP in Timor Leste and Malaysia, as well as hundreds of other TMP both domestically and abroad.
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