Source: Untar Public Relations – VC
Brig. Gen. Pol. M. Syahduddi has officially earned the title of Doctor of Law, becoming the 67th doctoral graduate of Untar’s Doctoral Program in Law after successfully defending his dissertation during an open doctoral promotion examination held at Untar Campus I, Jakarta, on Saturday (06/06/2026).
During the session, chaired by Untar Rector Prof. Dr. Amad Sudiro, S.H., M.H., M.Kn., M.M. as both the chair of the examination and the promovendus’ principal promoter, Syahduddi presented his dissertation entitled “The Concept of Decriminalizing Narcotics Users under Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics.” The study was co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Ariawan Gunadi, S.H., M.H.
The research examines legal approaches toward narcotics users within Indonesia’s criminal justice system, particularly in relation to the discourse on decriminalization as regulated under Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics.
According to Syahduddi, the handling of narcotics users should incorporate approaches that are more focused on rehabilitation and public health without neglecting law enforcement efforts against illicit drug trafficking.
“This study highlights the need to shift the approach toward narcotics users from a punitive framework to one that places greater emphasis on rehabilitation and public health, while still maintaining strong law enforcement against illegal narcotics distribution,” he stated.
The findings indicate that regulations concerning narcotics users in Indonesia’s legal system continue to be dominated by a criminalization approach. This condition is considered insufficient to effectively address the challenges of narcotics abuse, particularly in terms of rehabilitation and social recovery.
In his dissertation, Syahduddi emphasized that the decriminalization of narcotics users should be considered as part of Indonesia’s broader criminal law reform agenda. He argued that such a policy must maintain a balance between public health, social welfare, and law enforcement objectives. Accordingly, he recommended strengthening rehabilitation-based approaches, providing clearer legal definitions regarding the status of narcotics users, and establishing stronger alignment between criminal law policies and public health policies.
Syahduddi has extensive experience within the Indonesian National Police. He previously served as Chief of the West Jakarta Metro Police and held several strategic positions within the Jakarta Metropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya). He currently serves as Director of Vital Object Security (Dirpamobvit) of the Bhayangkara Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam Polri) under the Bhayangkara Corps of Public Order Police (Korsabhara).
His extensive background in law enforcement served as an important foundation for this research, which provides an in-depth examination of the dynamics surrounding narcotics-related offenses in Indonesia. By combining theoretical perspectives with practical experience, the study is expected to contribute to the development of narcotics policies that are more effective, equitable, and recovery-oriented. (VC/YS)