The new North Sulawesi Province chief of police was inaugurated on February 14 at the National Police School at Karombasan, Manado. Based on the official Telegram released by the Indonesian National Police Head No. ST/258/I/2014 on January 29, Brigadier General Police Jimmy Palmer Sinaga was one of the many police generals who received a new assignment. He replaced Brig Gen Police Robby Kaligis, who was assigned as the Head of Brimob Corps, the elite group of the Indonesian Police, in Jakarta.
Brig. Gen. Sinaga was formerly the Graduate Program Director of the College of Police Science at the Institute of Police Education in Jakarta. In his introductory speech, he took the opportunity to introduce his wife and two sons. He said, “In the future, I request the same support that you have shown to Brig Gen Kaligis during his stint as the Chief of Police. I know that the people in North Sulawesi are loving and caring people as evident in their motto ‘sitou timou tumou tou’ (man lives to help other men live) and ‘torang semua basudara’ (all of us are brothers and sisters).”
He wishes to continue the program of the police in North Sulawesi of eradicating excessive alcohol consumption, which is often the cause of crime and violence. North Sulawesi is well known for their local strong alcoholic beverage, cap tikus, made from fermented coconut water.
A native of North Sumatera, Sinaga is a member of the MT Haryono Adventist Church in Jakarta. He held the responsibility as the coordinator for the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for many years.
On February 15, Sinaga attended Sabbath service at the Governor’s Hall together with his family and the Mayor of Manado, Dr. Godbless Vicky Lumentut. Sinaga was proud and happy to have his sons visit with them in their new home in Manado. The eldest is a practicing lawyer and the youngest, a Police Inspector in the Brimob Corps.
“As a newcomer to this region, I want to spend as much time with our Adventist members in the different churches. I want to get to know them,” he stated in his speech before the Sabbath sermon.
Sinaga recalls his previous official visits to Manado. Nevertheless, he was happy to see the friendly faces of the Adventist church members. He appealed for them to continually pray for him as he assumes his new responsibility to maintain peace and religious freedom in North Sulawesi.
Dr. Richard Sabuin, Seminary Dean of the Adventist International Institute of Advance studies located in Cavite, Philippines, was speaker that Sabbath and was happy to have the Manado Mayor and the Chief of Police worshipping with the members of Tikala Adventist Church and other neighboring churches.
North Sulawesi is a province in east Indonesia. The Adventist union headquarters in east Indonesia (EIUC) is located in north Sulawesi’s capital and largest city, Manado. EIUC oversees its more than 700 churches and over 101,000 Adventist members. (Bryan Sumendap/Gay Deles)