Military officials donate money and gold to help government

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of high-ranking military officers joined the "Love Rupiah" campaign yesterday, donating money and gold to help the government overcome the monetary crisis.

Speaking to reporters after initiating the campaign at the Armed Forces (ABRI) Cilangkap headquarters in East Jakarta, ABRI Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung said the donation was an expression of their love for the country. The donation will be forwarded to Bank Indonesia, the central bank.

"This is at least an effort to help the government settle the crisis," Feisal said.

He said the Armed Forces headquarters had not set a target for the donation. "The more money we can donate, the better," he said.

Some 3,961.48 grams of gold -- in the form of jewelry and trinkets -- were collected in the drive joined by about 350 officers yesterday. The money was in rupiah and the U.S. dollar.

A group of Navy officers donated money and gold to the government last week. Some Rp 136 million (US$10,461) in cash, 440 grams of gold and more than $1,000 was collected in the drive held at the Navy headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, last Friday.

Yesterday, Feisal reiterated his call for Indonesian businesspeople to join the campaign.

Earlier this month, Feisal admitted he called 13 Indonesian business tycoons to join the "Love Rupiah" campaign by exchanging their U.S. dollars with rupiah to restore public confidence in the local currency.

ABRI chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah said there should be no excuse for businesspeople not to help the country heal its economy by becoming part of the Love Rupiah campaign.

"They couldn't have become that big if it had not been for the successful development programs of the New Order government," Yunus said.

The drive was initiated by, among others, President Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana who exchanged $50,000 to rupiah in a highly publicized event.

"Let us all exchange our dollars for rupiah," said Mbak Tutut, as Hardiyanti is better known, when she changed her money at bank BBD in Central Jakarta on Jan. 9.

Many people have jumped on the bandwagon, including a group of Indonesian editors, noted businesspeople, government officials, entertainers and scholars.

Separately yesterday, a group of non-governmental organizations (NGO) activists launched a public service campaign to help alleviate people's suffering during the monetary crisis.

Adi Sasono, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), launched the Komite Aksi Untuk Pelayanan Masyarakat (KAUM) or the Committee for the Public Service at the Pondok Indah Mosque in South Jakarta.

The event was attended by several Moslem leaders including Anwar Harjono of the Indonesian Council of Islamic Propagation. The drive was initiated by ICMI and other Moslem organizations including Muhammadiyah and Forum Ukhuwah Islamiyah.

Adi was quoted by Antara as saying the committee will mobilize donated funds and basic commodities to the poor.

Also yesterday, nine high-ranking Navy officers and dozens of thousands of lower officers collected and donated Rp 72,111,000 and 421.9 grams of gold to the drive.

The high-ranking officers included Commander of the Navy's Eastern Fleet Rear Admiral Edi Suyadi and Governor of the Naval Academy Maj. Gen. Sudarsono Kasdi.

The money was collected at bank BBD in Surabaya, while the gold was channeled to state pawnshops. (imn/swe)