Maj. Gen. Muchdi installed as new Kopassus chief
JAKARTA (JP): The Army's special force (Kopassus) got a new commandant-general Saturday when Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono replaced younger Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto as leader of the elite unit.
Lesser-known Muchdi was formerly Tanjungpura Regional Military Commander, overseeing Kalimantan. He becomes Kopassus' 16th chief.
While Prabowo was born in January 1951, Muchdi was born in April 1949. He graduated from the Armed Forces Academy in 1970, and spent 12 years of his early career in the special forces, after which he was assigned to territorial tasks in various military units.
Muchdi was recruited to the Intelligence Training Center in 1986. Two years later, he was appointed chief of the Jayapura Military District and left his mark with the arrest of Irian Jaya separatist leader Thomas Wapay Wainggai.
The separatist leader died in a Jakarta prison in 1996. When his body was flown home to Abepura near the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura a riot erupted after some youths were barred from paying their last respects to him.
Muchdi was also noted for his management of unrest in East Java in the run-up and during the 1997 election campaign. He was then deputy chief of the Brawijaya Regional Military Command, overseeing East Java and the surrounding regions.
Speaking about his "late" appointment to the special forces top post, Muchdi said he was not really bothered by it. He pointed out that in modern management, skills and abilities superseded seniority.
"A better person will precede those with lesser skills and abilities," he said.
"However, there must be reasons for the Armed Forces leader to put me in the top Kopassus position," he added, but did not elaborate.
In his speech, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo H.S. said the rapid change and greater challenges demand that the Kopassus soldiers strengthen their intelligence skills.
Improvement of the skills is needed so that every operation may be supported by astute and thorough analysis of situation in the field. "This (analysis) is needed in order for you to be able to conduct early detection and prevention," he said.
Former Vice President Gen. (ret) Try Sutrisno said after the transfer ceremony Saturday that Kopassus should continuously improve its members' professionalism and modernize its equipment in order to keep up with challenges of the 21st century.
"Kopassus should remain strong but be able to easily adjust to different situations," he told reporters.
Present at the ceremony were former coordinating minister for defense and security Gen. (ret) Maraden Panggabean, former minister of defense and security Gen. (ret) Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani, former army chief of staff Gen. (ret) Wismoyo Arismunandar, a number of senior Armed Forces officers and defense attaches of friendly countries.
Also present at the ceremony were cabinet ministers -- State Minister of Public Housing and Settlement Akbar Tandjung, State Minister of Land Affairs Maj. Gen. (ret) Ary Mardjono, Minister of Manpower Theo L. Sambuaga and State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono.
Prabowo is a 1974 graduate of the Armed Forces Academy. He became a one-star general after only 21 years of military service. The son of senior economist Soemitro Djojohadikoesoemo and son-in-law of President Soeharto, Prabowo was the first among his classmates to reach the rank of general.
Observers say he has a good combination of intelligence, excellent military skills and mental stability. He speaks English, French, German and Dutch equally well.
Prabowo was appointed deputy commander of Kopassus in 1994. and promoted to command the elite unit the following year. He helped restructure the force from four to five groups in June 1996, and obtained his second star in August of the same year.
Earlier this month he was promoted to three-star general, which many observers considered as a preparation for his new post as the head of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad). His installment as the Kostrad chief was held earlier this month. (imn)