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)