Joni, a flagpole climber, did not make it past the selection, TNI said he was not tall enough

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

TNI AD open your voice about Yohanes Gama Marschal Lau alias Jonithe boy who climbed the flag pole at the 73rd Indonesian Independence Day ceremony in Silawan Town, Belu, East Nusa Tenggara failed to pass the entrance exam selection.

Indonesian Army Intelligence Service Chief (Kadispenad) Brigadier General Kristomei Sianturi confirmed that Joni had indeed participated in the 2024 TNI AD Caba PK election.

In the selection process, Joni failed because he did not meet the height requirements. Joni is known to be 155.8 cm tall; while the minimum requirement is 160 cm.

“He does not meet the minimum height requirements of 160 cm for disadvantaged areas,” Kristomei told journalists, Monday (5/8).

It is known that after climbing the flag pole went viral, Joni was invited by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to the State Palace in August 2015.

At that time, Joni expressed his desire to become a soldier. In this regard, Jokowi asked Joni to express his wishes to Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who at that time was the Commander of TNI.

Kristomei confirmed that Joni received an award from the TNI Commander and the Minister of Education and Culture for his efforts in raising the flag pole at the 73rd anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia.

“However, the award certificate does not state that that person must be accepted into the Indonesian Army,” he said.

“To become a TNI AD soldier, there are several basic requirements that must be met,” he said.

Furthermore, Kristomei asked Joni not to be discouraged and to try again at another opportunity. At the same time, prepare yourself to be able to fulfill several requirements during the selection process.

“However, there is no need to be discouraged, there is still ample opportunity for those who are involved to retake the test in the future, while preparing themselves to meet the full requirements as a TNI AD soldier ,” he said.

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[Gambas:Video CNN]