Military's request for Rp 11t

Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto told President Megawati Soekarnoputri last Friday that the military needed additional funds, amounting to Rp 11 trillion. Sutarto said as least Rp 1.3 trillion of that was urgently needed by the military.

The House of Representatives, however, approved only Rp 1 trillion, both for the military and the Indonesian Police. Sutarto said the funds would not be used to buy weapons but to obtain services for military equipment and spare parts for military airplanes and patrol boats.

The commander also said the funds were badly needed to reform the institution, maintain national stability and combat the theft of state funds.

Rp 11 trillion is a huge amount, but still it is less significant compared with the amount of money embezzled from Bank Indonesia's liquidity credit (BLBI), amounting to Rp 164 trillion.

If TNI leaders indeed want to reform the institution, the funds must be used primarily to change the morals of military members.

Without high moral standards, the state funds are likely to end up in corruption, collusion and nepotism. -- Republika