'Civil servants need military mentality'

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's civil servants need to acquire a new, more disciplined mentality if they are to cope with the growing challenges confronting them, according to a senior official of the home affairs ministry.

Secretary-General Suryatna Subrata said all government workers, from the lowest to the highest levels, should adopt some of the positive attitudes found in the military, such as discipline, loyalty and willingness to make sacrifices.

"These are attributes that government workers must possess," Suryatna said, while opening a leadership course for officials of the ministry in Cimahi, West Java, on Friday, Antara reported.

Given such a positive mentality, the nation would be prepared to face the challenges of the time, he said. On the other hand, the absence of such attributes would endanger, not only Indonesia's civil service, but also the people it serves and the very existence of the nation, he said.

Some 260 officials, including district chiefs, are taking part in the leadership course, which includes training in some military disciplines.

Suryatna said that by learning the military disciplines, the participants would be able to tighten work ethics and discipline within the government administration.

He said that the course was even more important for officials in regional administrations, given that the government was planning to grant greater autonomy to the provinces and regencies. (emb)