Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has formally proposed National Narcotics Agency (BNN) chief Suyudi Ario Seto as the sole candidate to replace National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

The presidential letter was received by the House of Representatives on Thursday, according to Habiburokhman, chairman of the House Commission III overseeing legal and security affairs.

The House’s steering body assigned Commission III to conduct a fit-and-proper test for Suyudi, who holds the rank of three-star police general, Habiburokhman said during a meeting at Parliament in Jakarta.

“All factions in Commission III have agreed by consensus to proceed with the process of replacing Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo with Commissioner General Suyudi Ario Seto in accordance with the law,” he said.

During his fit-and-proper test before the House Commission III, Suyudi said he would focus the police force on serving the state and the public, including communities in Indonesia’s remote, border, and outermost regions.

His proposed agenda is centered on the theme “Police With the People,” which he said aims to restore public trust by putting communities at the center of police work.

“I want to restore public trust through a transformation that places the community at the center of the police’s duties,” Suyudi told lawmakers in Jakarta.

A Poltracking Indonesia survey conducted in May 2026 found that 60.5% of respondents expressed trust in the National Police, putting it among the institutions with the lowest trust levels in the survey. The House of Representatives ranked lowest, at 55.3%.

Suyudi said a change in police leadership should not automatically mean abandoning existing policies. He said he would not seek to overhaul the programs implemented under Listyo Sigit, but instead build on what had already been achieved while addressing institutional shortcomings.

“I want to continue the authority and courage to clearly identify the institution’s shortcomings while preserving and expanding the achievements that have been built in recent years,” he said.

Suyudi, a 1994 graduate of the Indonesian Police Academy, has spent much of his career in criminal investigations. He has served as Jakarta Metro Police deputy chief, Banten police chief and in several senior positions at the Criminal Investigation Agency. President Prabowo appointed him head of the National Narcotics Agency, or BNN, in August 2025. 

As BNN chief, Suyudi has emphasized rehabilitation and a health-based approach to drug abuse, alongside cooperation among government agencies. BNN has described his agenda as including broader access to rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation services.

The proposed appointment would bring Suyudi back to the police leadership after about a year heading the narcotics agency.

His career has included assignments as police chief in several jurisdictions, including Majalengka, Bogor, and Central Jakarta, as well as senior investigative roles at the national police’s Criminal Investigation Agency. 

The leadership change comes as the police face continuing scrutiny over law enforcement, public security, and institutional reform. Commission III’s confirmation process will assess Suyudi’s vision and plans before the House gives its approval.

Listyo, who has led the 450,000-strong police force since January 2021, was appointed during the administration of former President Joko Widodo and retained the post after Prabowo took office in October 2024. 

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