Best if officers become civvies, Juwono says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A scholar has suggested that middle-ranking
\nmilitary officers should consider switching track to civilian
\ncareers rather than pursuing the limited top positions available
\nin the Armed Forces (ABRI).<\/p>\n
\"There can only be one ABRI commander or one army chief of
\nstaff at a time,\" Juwono Sudarsono, deputy governor of the
\nmilitary think-tank the National Resilience Institute
\n(Lemhannas), said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after addressing the 31st anniversary of
\nthe institute, Juwono said middle-ranking officers who only have
\nlimited opportunities to go to the top should ask for early
\nretirement and turn to business.<\/p>\n
He expressed confidence that the officers, especially those
\nwho have joined the Armed Forces leadership courses, would be
\ncapable enough to hold medium and top management positions in the
\nbusiness sector.<\/p>\n
\"Many of them have better managerial skills than civilian
\nmanagers,\" he said, adding that he has discussed his suggestion
\nwith a number of top military officers and that they agree with
\nit.<\/p>\n
The military's involvement in business dates back to the pre-
\nindependence period, during which time the Armed Forces were
\nforced to raise funds to feed their members and finance warfare.<\/p>\n
History<\/p>\n
After independence in 1945, when the fledgling republic was
\nstill too poor to ensure the welfare of its soldiers, the
\nmilitary continued its businesses. The armed forces, however, did
\nnot manage big corporations until the late 1950s when all Dutch
\ncompanies here were nationalized by the government.<\/p>\n
Between 1966 and 1967, Gen. Soeharto, then Army chief of
\nstaff, allowed all units of command in the Army to make money for
\ntheir soldiers' welfare through firms and cooperatives.<\/p>\n
In 1971, Gen. Umar Wirahadikusumah, then Army chief of staff,
\nformed the Army Foundation, with the permission of President
\nSoeharto, to coordinate all military businesses.<\/p>\n
Other groups in the Armed Forces also established their own
\nfoundations with which they started their businesses. The Navy
\nformed the Bhumyamca Foundation, the Air Force the Adi Upaya
\nFoundation, the Police Force the Brata Bhakti Foundation. All of
\nthem share the same purpose; namely obtaining enough funds to
\nenhance the welfare of their members.<\/p>\n
A large number of retired military officers have already
\nturned to business. Some of them are registered as commissioners
\nin a number of multinational companies.<\/p>\n
Juwono denied that, by turning to business, the military
\nofficers would take away the opportunities for civilians as
\nmanagerial positions are still widely available in the country.<\/p>\n
\"We still need a large number of managers. Currently, only
\nthree percent of the Indonesian population of 190 million are
\nmanagers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In comparison, 15 percent of the neighboring Philippines's
\npopulation of 68.5 million are managers. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/best-if-officers-become-civvies-juwono-says-1447893297",
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