President Prabowo Subianto’s recent address at the TNI–Polri leadership meeting sent a clear political message: the military and police are expected to become the front line of the government’s flagship programs, from the Free Nutritious Meals initiative to the Merah Putih cooperatives and the proposed Sekolah Rakyat. On paper, this sounds like a call for national unity. In practice, it raises a far more uncomfortable question: Why are social programs increasingly placed in the hands of uniformed institutions? To subscribe please click here
