ABRI role in city must be reduced<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Senior city officials -- including those with a
\nmilitary background -- councilors and an NGO activist have joined
\nthe chorus on the plan to reduce the size of the Armed Forces
\n(ABRI) representation in the Jakarta administration.<\/p>\n
Contacted separately by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, they
\nhailed the plan, calling it a good path toward creating fair
\ncompetition among the city officials which, in turn, could create
\nbetter work performance.<\/p>\n
A civilian who is deputy head of a bureau said the military
\nmembers posted in the city administration only hamper the
\nprofessional careers of the civil servants because the ABRI
\npersonnel, smart or not, were always positioned at the top of the
\nmanagement of certain bureaus.<\/p>\n
\"Realizing that they won't be chosen as heads of bureaus due
\nto the presence of the military, many frustrated civil servants
\nare determined not to perform to their optimum level as there's
\nno guarantee that they would be promoted even if their work was
\nexcellent,\" the official, who asked for anonymity, said.<\/p>\n
\"I have a similar feeling too. Having worked for about 10
\nyears here, I think it's quite suitable for me to be head of this
\nbureau.<\/p>\n
\"But Governor Sutiyoso has chosen someone else from the armed
\nforces for the position,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Like many of the 27 governors in the country, Sutiyoso is an
\nactive three-star military general.<\/p>\n
Such an unpopular but traditional procedure for the human
\nresources development scheme at the city administration has badly
\naffected the work performance of the civil service.<\/p>\n
Praising the plan, councilors expressed their hopes that the
\nnew policy would entice the city's civil employees to compete in
\ngiving first-class service to the public.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the reduction of the number of military officials in
\nthe Jakarta administration might be implemented soon. The sooner,
\nthe better,\"<\/p>\n
Sharing the idea, Zumrotin K. Susilo of the Jakarta chapter of
\nthe International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (Infid),
\nhowever, reminded people that the greater number of civilians at
\nthe top levels of the administration is not in itself a guarantee
\nthat corruption would disappear in the city administration.<\/p>\n
\"We should not be fooled. Civilians in the top positions can
\nbe corrupt too,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The plan to diminish the number of military officers was
\nannounced on Monday by Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs
\nAbdul Kahfi.<\/p>\n
The plan, he said, was in accordance with the final results of
\nthe Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly which
\nwould reduce the number of ABRI members in the Assembly by
\nstages.<\/p>\n
\"Anybody can now chair any of the city's top management
\naccording to their capability. ABRI would no longer allocate its
\nmen to any of the posts,\" Kahfi explained.<\/p>\n
Like statements of many other officials, his words, of course,
\nare not a guarantee.<\/p>\n
A reliable source said on Wednesday that five of the seven new
\ntop city officials to be installed next week were members of the
\nmilitary.<\/p>\n
The ABRI personnel would be appointed as heads of the city
\nland transportation agency, the city sanitary agency, the city
\nparking agency, city's social and political affairs directorate
\nand the civilian defense unit's provincial headquarters, the
\nsource said.<\/p>\n
The civilians would be appointed to head the city-owned market
\nmanagement PD Pasar Jaya and the development finance comptroller,
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
According to Zumrotin, who is also an executive of the
\nIndonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), the ABRI members assigned
\nto serve in the posts in the city administration would adopt
\ntheir military style in carrying out their jobs.<\/p>\n
\"They do it in the military way and with power,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, she added, \"civilians with better experience and
\nbetter educational background deserve to sit in the top positions
\nin both executive and legislative to ensure the good running of
\nthe city.\"<\/p>\n
Supporting the idea, head of the ABRI faction councilor
\nSumekar said: \"I brought up the issue several years ago that city
\nemployees should be recruited fairly on the basis of their
\nability.\"<\/p>\n
Heads of the city's public relations affairs Kamaludin Santos
\nand public order office Hadi Utomo, both from the military,
\nexpressed their readiness to leave their current posts and serve
\nback in the military.<\/p>\n
\"Since I was assigned here, I have always been ready to be
\nremoved at any time.<\/p>\n
As an ABRI member, I should be ready to be assigned to any
\nplace by my superior,\" Kamaludin said.<\/p>\n
According to the chairman of the United Development Party
\n(PPP) faction, Achmad Suaidy, the positioning of the military
\nmembers in the city administration was initiated by the central
\ngovernment back in the late 1960s.<\/p>\n
In the early 1960s, many important positions were held down by
\nmembers of the now-banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI)
\nwithout the recognition of the military.<\/p>\n
After paralyzing the party, the government then allocated the
\nABRI members to many top positions to prevent a similar problem
\narising, Suaidy said.<\/p>\n
\"However, the tradition was carried on but has to be changed
\nnow,\" he added. (ind\/ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abri-role-in-city-must-be-reduced-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}