The government's policing of internet content remains imperative for now as Indonesian internet users are not yet equipped to effectively filter content on their own, officials argue. (Reuters Photo/Mal Langsdon)

Jakarta. The government has canceled the plan to form the National Cyber Agency, aimed at protecting its institutions from wiretapping, due to state budget efficiency, Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reforms Yuddy Chrisnandi said on Tuesday (21/06).

“We are implementing moratorium on establishing new government agencies. We have sought what institution's competence, infrastructure and human resources is capable to do this cyber security issues [..] and the meeting concluded it is National Resilience Institute or Lemhanas,” Yuddy said after a meeting at the Chief Security Ministry office in Jakarta, as reported by Kompas.com

He said the government will revitalize the functions, tasks and authorities of the National Resilience Institute in a move to strengthen coordination with other agencies, adding the Communication and Information Ministry will help the efforts as well.

“Cyber security has been world's major issue so that the government needs to protect information and digital data of its institutions and private sector,” the minister said.

Heru Sutadi, the executive director of Indonesia ICT Institute, said the government needs to appoint a leading institution to handle the issue, as many agencies have addressed it, including the Indonesia-Security Incident Response Team on Internet Infrastructure (IDSIRTII) at the Communication Ministry's information security directorate, as well as the National Police's cyber crime unit.

“Any agency can lead the efforts as long they can focus working on this important issue and cooperate with other related agencies,” Heru said.

“The main point is we need one commander. Since the issue includes national security which can now equally be as dangerous as physical war, the highest commander should be the president, like in the United States,” he added.

Previously, Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan said the body would be established this June.

The plan to build the National Cyber Agency came after growing concerns over reports Australia had spied on a number of senior Indonesian officials, including former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The revelation was made in secret documents leaked by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden.