Retired officers in Cabinet: Assets or liabilities?

Imanuddin Razak, The Jakarta Post

A quick glance at the "United Indonesia Cabinet" indicates that the newly established Cabinet is a relatively non- controversial one as it caters to the interests of most factions in the country's political community as well as the major social organizations.

However, the fact that a few posts are held by ministers who do not appear to be well-suited for the posts based on their educational background and previous positions could be an unfavorable factor for the success of the Cabinet or President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in performing the tasks as mandated by the people.

In addition to the questionable placement of some ministers, attention should also be focused on Cabinet ministers who have a military background.

Why? Because the President himself is a retired Army general and has served most of his career as a military officer before retiring from military service to become a minister in Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's Cabinet in October 1999.

Why? Because the ministers with the military background hold key positions in the Cabinet -- namely in the security sector.

The current Cabinet has a total of five ministers with a military or police background. Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration had three ministers with a military background. It is also more than the number in Gus Dur's Cabinet, which also had three.

Many people have taken note of the larger number of ministers with a military or police background in the current Cabinet and believe it reveals an increased bargaining position by the security forces.

Adm. (ret) Widodo Adi Sucipto, a 1968 graduate of the Naval Academy, who served as the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief under Gus Dur, is the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs; Lt. Gen. (ret) M. Ma'ruf, a 1962 National Military Academy graduate who once served as Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of sociopolitical affairs, is the Minister of Home Affairs.

Meanwhile Lt. Gen. (ret) Sudi Silalahi, a 1972 graduate of the National Military Academy, who once served as an assistant to Susilo when the latter was the TNI chief of territorial affairs and secretary to Susilo when the latter was the coordinating minister for political and security affairs under Megawati, is the Cabinet secretary.

The other two are Vice Adm. (ret) Freddy Numberi, a 1971 graduate of the Naval Academy, who served as state minister of administrative reforms under Gus Dur, is now the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and little known police Brig. Gen. (ret) Taufik Effendi, who holds the position of State Minister of Administrative Reforms.

It has always been debatable whether a retired military or police officer is considered a civilian or military man. But, it is difficult to believe that a retired military or police officer has no emotional links nor organizational loyalty to their previous institutions.

Their (Susilo's and the ministers') military or police background will likely put them in the same boat in terms of the way they perceive and approach threats against security and order in the country.

On one hand, by sharing the similar backgrounds and experience, it will be easier for the new government to agree on how to deal with security matters.

But, on the other hand, their built-in military approach could mean a tendency to dismiss the "civilian approach" of a democratic decision-making policy.

It is true that in certain emergency situations, immediate and "bold" actions are needed to immediately tackle problems. But "such emergency situations" should not become a habit for the government to the point that they neglect the democratic principles of decision-making.

The government of Susilo-Jusuf Kalla should not forget that they carry the mandate of the people who have directly voted for them. They also must comply with the guidelines set up by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), whose members have also been elected directly by the people.

Failure to comply with the Assembly's guidelines will become a problem for the government as it may have to deal with the 678- strong assembly.

The fact that the five ministers with military and police backgrounds retired earlier than Susilo could be a "weakening factor" for the President in gaining control of the Cabinet. It has an open secret that seniority in rank remains, although they have retired from military service.

Another factor that could lead to weakness, besides seniority, is that Susilo has never been in control of the military as the only true leadership post he had in the TNI was as the TNI's chief of territorial affairs. Unlike the TNI chief or the TNI chief of general affairs, who has direct command and control of troops, the TNI chief of territorial affairs deals with social and political issues, but not military operations.

A lesson that Susilo had experienced himself was when Gus Dur had to replace him with Agum Gumelar as coordinating minister for political and security affairs as Susilo was considered unable to meet "Gus Dur's expectations" in dealing with security affairs. Agum was appointed because he was believed to have strong influence on the TNI headquarters due to his previous positions, especially the fact that he was once the commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus).

Despite all the above conditions, we, as members of this nation, hope ministers with military background will make the maximum use of their experience and expertise on security matters to help establish security and order, and make this a conducive climate for bringing in foreign investment and bringing back domestic investors, who have been parking their money abroad ever since the economic crises.

Otherwise, the country will never recover economically and we will be relegated to spectator status in this period of tight global competition, no matter how good the government programs are.