Nanyang Distinguished Alumni Award

23 October 2021

For his contributions to counter-terrorism and law and order, Nanyang Technological University is proud to present Dr Muhammad Tito Karnavian with the Nanyang Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr Muhammad Tito is currently the Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, a role he assumed on 23 October 2019. Prior to this, he served as the Chief of the Indonesian National Police from 13 July 2016 to 22 October 2019.

In January 2020, he was conferred the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Distinguished Service Order) by Singapore President Halimah Yacob, in recognition of his role in strengthening bilateral ties between the Indonesian National Police and the Singapore Police Force, enabling both forces to enhance their cooperation in the areas of capability building, and combating transnational crime and counter-terrorism.

Dr Muhammad Tito previously led the country’s war on terror as head of Indonesia’s National Counter-terrorism Agency (BNPT). He has devoted much of his career to combating the spectre of terrorism, with his earliest experience an incident in 1999 where an Islamist group tried to assassinate Indonesia’s then-Defence Minister.

He has also served as Jakarta police chief, for which he won praise for maintaining security following attacks by Islamic State sympathizers in 2018. Mr Muhammad has also served as chief of the Papua police (2012 to 2014) and head of Indonesia’s elite Densus 88 counter-terrorism squad (2010 to 2011). Mr Muhammad assisted Densus 88 in the successful hunts for Noordin Mohammad Top, then Indonesia’s most-wanted fugitive, and Azahari Husin, the man believed to be the mastermind behind the 2002 Bali bombings.

Dr Muhammad Tito topped his class at the police academy in 1987, receiving the Outstanding Achievement Medal (Adhi Makayasa), and became the youngest police member to obtain the rank of commissioner general. He has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Strategic Studies from New Zealand’s Massey University, a Master in Police Studies from the UK’s Exeter University, in addition to his Ph.D in Strategic Studies (majoring in Terrorism and Islamist Radicalization) from NTU’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).

A firm believer in the importance of international and regional cooperation, Dr Muhammad Tito has lent his expertise at related conferences, meetings and forums on numerous occasions. He headed the Indonesian Delegation for Anti-Nuclear Smuggling at an Interpol conference in Poland in 2012, spoke at the Conference on Terrorism and Political Conflicts in Cambodia in 2009 and attended the Anti- Terrorism and Information-Sharing Conference with the Singapore Police Force in 2005.

Dr Muhammad Tito has received numerous accolades given by the Indonesian Government such as the Distinguished Policeman Medal (Bhayangkara Pratam), Military Medal for Loyalty to Motherland (Nusa Bhakti Satyalencana), Military Medal for Good Service to Motherland (Nusa Darma Satyalencana), and the Military Medal for Good Service to the World (Buana Bhakti Satyalencana). He has also received Darjah Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang Yang Amat Gemilang Darjah Pertama (The Most Exalted Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang- First Class) from Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Hasanal Bolkiah in July 2017, and First Class Police Force Bravery Award named Darjah Panglima Gagah Pasukan Police from Raja Malaysia Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Dipertuan Agong XV Sultan Muhammad V, in December 2017. In addition, he is a recipient of the Nanyang Alumni Achievement Award (2016).

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