Business welcome new Army base
Business welcome new Army base
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post
Business people have welcomed the Army's decision to move one of
its bases into the Jababeka industrial zone in Bekasi, West Java,
but a noted expert cautioned that the military no longer has any
authority in Indonesian civilian life.
"We have to ensure that Jababeka is secure, and the presence
of military personnel guarantees that. They can deter people from
carrying out crimes here," Jababeka president director Setyono
Djuandi Darmono said during the inauguration of the Jakarta's
eastern army command (Makorem) headquarters at Jababeka, West
Java on Wednesday.
The headquarters, situated on 6.5 hectares of land, was
officially opened by Jakarta military commander Maj. Gen.
Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo. The land and funds to build the new
headquarters, valued at Rp 18.5 billion (US$1.95 million) were
provided by the Jababeka City developer.
Almost all prominent businesspeople in and around Jababeka
attended the inauguration ceremony.
The Jababeka army headquarters is meant to replace the city's
eastern Makorem currently located next to the Kampung Rambutan
bus station in East Jakarta. Agustadi said the old headquarters
would later be used as a military intelligence office.
Darmono said security was very important for the industrial
zone as businesspeople from 21 countries have invested in the
area.
He claimed that even during the construction of the military
office, Jababeka had increased its property sales because many
businesspeople thought that the presence of military personnel
would create more conducive conditions for business.
Darmono said Jababeka City would assist in building a police
precinct in the area later on.
Agustadi said that military personnel would help Jababeka deal
with street thugs who have made many residents feel threatened.
Businesspeople and residents have expressed concern over the
rising number of thugs asking for illegal fees going into and out
of several industrial zones in Bekasi.
Noted criminologist from the University of Indonesia Adrianus
Meliala said Thursday that many people still thought that being
protected by the military was better than police protection.
"But they should know that the military has no authority or
role in civilian life nowadays. They can't arrest criminals or
investigate cases," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
He added that the military was still trying hard to give the
public the impression that they still had authority and important
roles in their daily life.
Adrianus acknowledged, though, that police failure to prevent
crime was probably one of the reasons why businesspeople have
turned to the military.
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono denied the suggestion
that the presence of a military command in an industrial area
proved that police had failed to do their job.
"The military can move their command anywhere because they
have their own strategic considerations. We will cooperate with
them in securing the area," he told the Post.
He said that police had a precinct and several subprecincts in
Bekasi to protect the city and its industrial areas.