Best if officers become civvies, Juwono says
Best if officers become civvies, Juwono says
JAKARTA (JP): A scholar has suggested that middle-ranking
military officers should consider switching track to civilian
careers rather than pursuing the limited top positions available
in the Armed Forces (ABRI).
"There can only be one ABRI commander or one army chief of
staff at a time," Juwono Sudarsono, deputy governor of the
military think-tank the National Resilience Institute
(Lemhannas), said yesterday.
Speaking to reporters after addressing the 31st anniversary of
the institute, Juwono said middle-ranking officers who only have
limited opportunities to go to the top should ask for early
retirement and turn to business.
He expressed confidence that the officers, especially those
who have joined the Armed Forces leadership courses, would be
capable enough to hold medium and top management positions in the
business sector.
"Many of them have better managerial skills than civilian
managers," he said, adding that he has discussed his suggestion
with a number of top military officers and that they agree with
it.
The military's involvement in business dates back to the pre-
independence period, during which time the Armed Forces were
forced to raise funds to feed their members and finance warfare.
History
After independence in 1945, when the fledgling republic was
still too poor to ensure the welfare of its soldiers, the
military continued its businesses. The armed forces, however, did
not manage big corporations until the late 1950s when all Dutch
companies here were nationalized by the government.
Between 1966 and 1967, Gen. Soeharto, then Army chief of
staff, allowed all units of command in the Army to make money for
their soldiers' welfare through firms and cooperatives.
In 1971, Gen. Umar Wirahadikusumah, then Army chief of staff,
formed the Army Foundation, with the permission of President
Soeharto, to coordinate all military businesses.
Other groups in the Armed Forces also established their own
foundations with which they started their businesses. The Navy
formed the Bhumyamca Foundation, the Air Force the Adi Upaya
Foundation, the Police Force the Brata Bhakti Foundation. All of
them share the same purpose; namely obtaining enough funds to
enhance the welfare of their members.
A large number of retired military officers have already
turned to business. Some of them are registered as commissioners
in a number of multinational companies.
Juwono denied that, by turning to business, the military
officers would take away the opportunities for civilians as
managerial positions are still widely available in the country.
"We still need a large number of managers. Currently, only
three percent of the Indonesian population of 190 million are
managers," he said.
In comparison, 15 percent of the neighboring Philippines's
population of 68.5 million are managers. (imn)