By Eka Yudha Saputra
Copyright tempo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that he had always wanted to join the mounted police force in Canada since he was a child. He made this remark during his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the West Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.The statement, made during their joint press conference, elicited laughter from Carney. Prabowo expressed his admiration for Canada and extended an invitation to Carney to visit Indonesia. “When I was a child, I always wanted to be a Mountie,” Prabowo was quoted as saying on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel on 26th September 2025.Mountie is a nickname for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). This Canadian mounted police force is known for its distinctive red uniform, Red Stetson hat, and high leather boots.Carney and the audience laughed upon hearing Prabowo’s statement. Prabowo then reiterated that he had seriously harbored the ambition of becoming a Mountie. “I am absolutely serious. Perhaps I will return in a personal capacity,” Prabowo said while laughing.Subsequently, the two governments signed three memoranda of understanding during this meeting. The three agreements are the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA CEPA), a memorandum between the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and the Canadian Department of National Defense on defense cooperation activities, and an MoU on Commerce, Trade, and Investment Cooperation by the Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) and the Chairman of the Business Council of Canada (BCC).What is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police?The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is a police force with a distinctive and unique history. As stated in an article published by the University of Waterloo, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was established in 1873. On May 23, 1873, the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada felt the need to establish a police force for Canada’s Northwest Territories. The purpose was to prevent the trading of alcohol among the indigenous people, collect customs duties, and enforce policing duties.As a result, a special mounted police force for the northwest territories, named the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), was formed. Although established in 1873, the use of the mounted police force was not required until 1895, when the discovery of gold in the Klondike region of the Yukon began to attract attention from people worldwide.Officer NWMP Charles Constantine and his men built the first mounted police post in the Yukon, named Fort Constantine. Initially, there were only 19 NWMP officers and members. They were tasked with controlling crime and enforcing the law amidst the increasing population due to the gold rush. However, their numbers were too few, leading to the establishment of 31 posts (detachments) scattered throughout the Yukon.One of the most important posts was located at the summits of White Pass and Chilkoot Pass, where the NWMP collected customs duties on goods brought to the Yukon by gold prospectors.Between 1898 and 1900, the Canadian government sent an additional 200 troops to assist the NWMP in guarding prisoners, banks, and gold shipments.In recognition of NWMP’s significant contributions, King Edward VII changed the name of NWMP to Royal North-West Mounted Police in 1904. Shortly thereafter, they officially became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1920.Editor’s Choice: Indonesia, Canada Ink ICA-CEPA to Bolster Trade RelationsClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
