Gen. Feisal swears in deputies
Gen. Feisal swears in deputies
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces Chief, Gen. Feisal Tanjung, swore
in his two new deputies yesterday. Maj. Gen. Soeyono will oversee
the military's security and defense functions, while Maj. Gen.
Moch. Ma'ruf will supervise its socio-political role.
Feisal installed Maj. Gen. Soeyono as chief of general affairs
to replace Lt. Gen. H.B.L. Mantiri, while Maj. Gen. Moch. Ma'ruf
takes the post of chief of socio-political affairs replacing Gen.
R. Hartono, who has been appointed as the new Army chief of
staff.
Feisal reminded the new chiefs in his speech at the swearing-
in ceremony that the Armed Forces (ABRI) has a dual role -- in
both defense and in politics.
"The chief of general affairs helps build the military as a
security and defense force," he said. "The chief of socio-
political affairs helps in strategic planning to turn the
military into a socio-political force."
The swearing-in ceremony was held at ABRI's headquarters in
Cilangkap in East Jakarta. All the military top brass were
present, including the outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wismoyo
Arismunandar, Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Rilo Pambudi and
Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Tanto Koeswanto.
Hartono, who was promoted to the rank of full general on Feb.
1, turned up for the first time with four stars on his shoulders.
He is due to be installed by President Soeharto, the supreme
commander of ABRI, at a ceremony at the State Palace this
morning.
Yesterday's change marked the beginning of another round of
changes within the military's top leadership, following the
retirement of a number of senior officers.
Wismoyo, for example, reached the mandatory retirement age of
55 yesterday and President Soeharto appeared to have decided not
to exercise his power to extend the general's tour of duty.
Wismoyo was once considered a rising star.
Wismoyo, who is related to the President by marriage, has been
elected chairman of the National Sports Committee (KONI).
There have been rumors that Mantiri, who turned 55 last
September, will be given an ambassadorial post, as has Lt. Gen.
Soeryadi, the current Army deputy chief of staff who is also
retiring.
Both Soeyono, who was formerly chief of the Diponegoro
Military Command in Central Java, and Ma'ruf, formerly assistant
to the ABRI chief of general affairs, are from the Class of 1965
of the National Military Academy in Magelang.
Soeyono, born in Malang, East Java, on March 13, 1943, has
received several Satya Lencana medals, for his role in quashing
the communist rebellion in 1966 and the East Timor separatist
rebellion in the 1970s.
He was President Soeharto's adjutant for five years, between
1986 and 1989.
Soeyono is the son-in-law of State Minister for Women's
Affairs Mien Sugandhi. He married her daughter Sribudhi
Mintorosari who gave him three children: Siti Amelia Jorjiana
(21), Moh. Ari Iman Santoso (18) and Moh. Iman Sidiqi (14).
Ma'ruf, born in Tegal, Central Java, on Sept. 20, 1942, is no
stranger to ABRI's political role. He has served as ABRI
representatives in the People's Consultative Assembly for two
terms, and had a brief stint as assistant to the chief of socio-
political affairs.
Although he never held any commanding positions, he served as
chief of staff at the Udayana Military Command in Bali in 1989
and then in the Diponegoro Command between 1990 and 1992.
He was governor of the National Military Academy in Magelang
in 1992 before he was recalled to ABRI headquarters where he has
served since then.
Ma'ruf is married to Raden Roro Susiati with whom he has three
daughters: Penny Wahyu Rastianingsih (25), Yani Endah Dwi
Setianingsih (23) and Dewi Tri Setianingsih (19). (rms/har)