July 7, 2026
JAKARTA – The last time Rustam Simanjuntak sent a message to his lecturer, the 22-year-old instinctively opened with “Mohon izin bertanya, Pak”, or “Permission to ask, sir” before getting to his point.
In Indonesia, the word “izin” (permission) is associated with the hierarchical communication style of the military, where deference to rank is deeply embedded and subordinates are expected to seek permission before speaking.
“If I didn’t put it that way, the lecturer would think I was being rude,” Rustam, a pharmacy graduate from the University of North Sumatra (USU), told The Jakarta Post.
“To be honest, it does carry a military nuance, but I ended up following the culture here,” he went on to say, adding that he never likes asking for permissions before being able to speak.
Having taken his pharmacist’s oath in April, Rustam said he had sometimes carried the habit in professional interactions outside campus, where he was told that asking for permission before speaking was unnecessary, a response he welcomed.
The term “izin” as well as other words have become increasingly common in everyday civilian interactions, especially in formal settings such as in universities and offices, at a time when the military’s expanding role beyond its traditional focus of defense has drawn growing scrutiny.
Another widely borrowed expression is “Siap!”. Literally means “Ready!”, the term is equal to “Yes sir!” and commonly used by military subordinates to acknowledge their superior officers’ commands.
Salsabila Putri, 25, frequently uses both terms while working as a civil servant at the Lampung provincial administration.
“I use ‘Siap!’ and ‘izin’ in the professional setting when talking to my superiors,” she told the Post. “It’s simply our way of showing respect to someone who holds a higher position than us.”
Salsabila picked up the habit while studying at state-run Institute of Public Administration (IPDN), where students undergo a semi-military education.
Outside her work and IPDN circle, she said she continues to use the expressions as her way of showing respect, although not everyone she interacts with sees them that way.
Societal inertia?
Borrowing military language to be used in civilian settings, even if driven merely by habit rather than an embrace of military ideology, reflects the lasting influence of New Order authoritarianism under former president Soeharto, according to military expert Made Supriatma of ISEAS-Yusok Ishak Institute in Singapore.
He argued the era had instilled values of obedience and hierarchy that continue to shape public attitudes after Indonesia’s transition to democracy.
“People want something stable, hierarchical, controlled and command-driven,” Made said. “This is characteristic of a society in transition, one that isn’t yet fully democratic and lives in the nostalgia of authoritarianism, but can no longer function under an authoritarian system.”
After nearly two years of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, concerns over rising militarism have intensified, particularly after last year’s passage of a controversial revision to the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law that, among other provisions, allows active military personnel to hold more civilian posts.
The armed forces have also become increasingly visible in government programs, including in Prabowo’s flagship free nutritious meal program and in the training of manager candidates for the Red and White Cooperatives, in which five people died days after the bootcamp started.
Recently, the government moved to assign Military Academy (Akmil) cadets to mentor students of Sekolah Rakyat boarding school, another program initiated by the President.
Superiority myth
The widespread use of military language among civilians may also be driven by the “myth that the military is superior to civilian institutions”, according to cultural studies professor Manneke Budiman at the University of Indonesia (UI).
“It also resulted in many civilian organizations appearing militaristic, sometimes even backed by the military’s support through training programs that further spread this culture,” Manneke said.
He argued the public needs to understand that military culture is “not conducive” to fostering egalitarianism and meritocracy, which are the hallmarks of a strong civilian society.
Sociologist Andreas Budi Widyanta of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) sees military language adoption as a normalization of unequal power relations. Repeated exposure to such expressions, he warned, could create a culture that is intimidating, very rigid and highly hierarchical.
But he noted that young Indonesians now also use terms such as “izin” ironically, turning them into popular internet slang that mock, rather than reinforce, military hierarchy.
