Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Entikong, W. Kalimantan | Mon, 11/09/2009 1:31 PM
Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro says his ministry will try to accelerate a pay increase for Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers and will focus on improving welfare in border regions.
"The pay rise was originally planned for 2011, but we will try to move it forward to 2010," Purnomo told reporters during a field trip in Entikong, West Kalimantan, on Saturday.
"The change is mainly related to the TNI's bureaucratic reforms. So, there will be a general improvement of welfare as part of these reforms, but there will also be a special remuneration increase for personnel posted on the nation's outer ring of islands and borders," he said.
During his trip to Entikong, one of Indonesia's outer frontiers with Malaysia, Purnomo said he had learned from officials that the majority of problems in the military occurred in frontier and border regions. Such areas saw social-economic problems involving both citizens and military personnel guarding them, he said, adding that this was the reason they were getting special attention.
"This problem definitely needs attention. I admit this is not in the domain of the Defense Ministry, but this is a comprehensive issue that needs to be resolved," he said.
Setiman H. Sudin, the regent of Sanggau (in which Entikong is a district), told reporters that welfare issues in Entikong had worsened during the reformation era.
"Originally, the Indonesian and Malaysian governments tried to resolve welfare issues by signing the Malindo Deal in 1971. That deal stipulates that citizens from both countries are allowed to trade with one another with an upper limit of 600 RM (US$176)," he said.
"Since its management was given to civilian institutions, this deal has become increasingly unclear. When the military handled the management in the past it was clear and evident that the management was aimed at improving people's welfare," he said.
Setiman said civilian institutions had made it difficult for the deal to be managed properly, because unlike the military, civilian institutions had an insufficient understanding of how to manage trade in border regions.
He also said if the central government would not return the authority to manage trading in these areas to the TNI, it could at least revise the stipulation on the upper limit.
"At least allow the people here to trade with an upper limit of more than 600 RM," he said.
Purnomo said he take Setiman's input into account, but noted that welfare issues were not in his ministry's domain.
"Therefore, we will submit these concerns to the appropriate ministries. Our main concern is regional defense," he said.
Based on the information we gathered, there are only 31 command posts along the 1,000-kilometer border *with Malaysia* in West Kalimantan."
