After decades, uniforms losing their significance
Whether or not civil servants have to wear uniforms continues to be debated. The real and immediate consequence of the requirement, however, is that billions of rupiah of tax-payers' money is spent on these uniforms. When did civil servants here first start wearing uniforms? The Jakarta Post's Damar Harsanto looks into the matter in the third of four articles on the issue.
For decades now, civil servants at the city administration have been wearing uniforms. Only a few of them, however, remember when they started wearing the uniforms, and why.
Haidil Anwar, 55, a senior civil servant, is one of the very few people who can still recall when Jakarta city civil servants were all in plainclothes.
"Before former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin took the helm, all city officers wore plainclothes," Haidil told The Jakarta Post recently.
When Ali was appointed Jakarta's governor in 1966, he brought along his white Navy uniform to the office, being as he was a retired Navy lieutenant general.
"You know during that time, wearing a white uniform was something to be proud of. The uniform made us very careful in our day-to-day activities. I habitually dusted off my chair before sitting to ensure that dust wouldn't soil my trousers," he recalled.
During that time, the uniform also served to identify ranks of officials. White uniforms were for low-ranking officials, while beige was worn by high-ranking officials.
When Ali Sadikin left the office in 1977, the uniform policy was maintained by three successive Jakarta governors -- Tjoko Pranolo (1997-1982), R. Soeprapto (1982-1987) and Wiyogo Admodarminto (1987-1992).
"In 1992, Surjadi Soedirdja, the Jakarta governor from 1992 to 1997, scrapped the white uniform and required all officers to wear beige uniforms in conformity with an instruction from the Ministry of Home Affairs," said Ferry Areza, the head of data section with the City Public Relations Office.
The white uniform, however, was maintained for the governor as well as subdistrict and municipal officials.
In the 1990s, the city administration required its officers to wear "field uniforms" similar in color to uniforms used by the Army.
Every year, the administration has to dig deep into its pocket to procure uniforms for around 43,500 civil servants. Last year, it allocated Rp 22 billion (US$2.3 million) to purchase uniforms that were handed over to city civil servants last month.
The uniform procurement project has come under the public spotlight after many officials returned their uniforms -- 2,200 caps, and 300 trouser and shirt sets in all -- to the City Assets Office for alteration. They complained of mistakes in the size and color of the uniforms, sparking allegations of corruption in the procurement process.
Recently, Transparency International Indonesia (TII) ranked Jakarta as the nation's most corrupt city.
A high-ranking city official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that he would not object if the administration stopped requiring city employees from wearing uniforms.
"Personally, I think that we have been squandering too much money on uniforms. The funds could have been used to finance other projects that would have greater benefit for Jakarta residents," he told The Post.
He added that the use of uniforms was "militaristic, and against the spirit of being civil servants: to serve the people."
"It's no wonder that our uniforms intimidate people," he sighed.