Workers' allowance

Workers' allowance

East Java's military are planning to punish and blacklist any companies failing to give an Idul Fitri allowance to their workers.

It is not surprising that Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo opted to pursue this line of action since workers' protests were rife in the province throughout last year.

We can only hope that his decision will be copied by military commanders in other provinces. Isn't it everybody's wish to celebrate the upcoming Moslem holiday happily?

We realize the allowance constitutes an extra expense for businessmen but being knowledgeable of the nature of Indonesian society it would only be reasonable to include these expenses into companies' annual budget plans.

We also note a change in the approach of the military from one of being purely security-conscious to being more concerned with people's well-being. The decision also reveals that security and well-being are two sides of the same coin.

We can also look at the Irian Jaya kidnapping case and East Timorese restlessness in this light. The crux of these two cases is the well-being of the people.

In this age of global openness, it is easier to exploit people's anger. On the other hand, the security approach has become more difficult to implement.

The well-being approach should be given more emphasis. We don't mean to say that we have to get rid of the security approach altogether. But the government has to use its power in a wiser manner.

--Media Indonesia