TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
TNI installs tycoon Tahir as advisor
A friend in need: Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A
span class="caption">A friend in need: Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko appoints business tycoon Tahir as his advisor in economic affairs and soldiers' welfare at the TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, Thursday. In response to TNI reports that 250,000 soldiers had yet to obtain housing, Tahir pledged to build 1,000 houses for soldiers living in Jakarta and another 500 houses for soldiers in every other province. Courtesy of Mayapada Group
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko has appointed business mogul Tahir as his advisor on economic affairs and personnel welfare.
The founder and owner of the Mayapada Group was given the honorary position for his great contribution to the military, especially with regards to his planned building of 1,000 houses for active service personnel in the Greater Jakarta area.
Gen. Moeldoko inaugurated Tahir in his new position in a ceremony at the TNI headquarters in East Jakarta on Thursday.
'I congratulate Dato' Sri Prof. Dr. Tahir MBA for his inauguration as my advisor. Pak Tahir's presence will ease my burden in increasing the welfare of my personnel,' said Moeldoko, who is deemed a controversial figure for some of his moves, which include condoning the use of bootleg watches and supporting a group of coal miners engaged in a legal dispute in East Kalimantan.
TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Fuad Basya gave assurances that Tahir's position would be non-structural, that he would not receive a salary and that he would have no authority in policy-making.
Tahir is ranked 12th on Forbes' list of the 50 richest men in Indonesia, with an estimated net worth of US$2.05 billion. He owns the Mayapada Group, which has portfolios in property, banking and the medical sector.
Fuad said that the TNI would provide plots of land for the projected 1,000 houses, while Tahir would be responsible for collecting funds and constructing the housing complexes.
'At the moment, only 40 percent of our personnel live in official residences, while the rest live in barracks or independently-rented houses. To provide for everybody, we need to build more houses,' Fuad said.
In his position as advisor, Tahir plans to visit military bases across the country in order to get a complete picture of the problems affecting TNI personnel, Fuad said.
The TNI spokesman added that Tahir would pay for his own travel expenses.
Meanwhile, security and military experts questioned the Gen. Moeldoko's decision to hire Tahir.
Rizal Dharma Putra, analyst with the Indonesian Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies (LESPERSSI), said that Tahir's appointment could compromise the force's integrity.
'This is the first time the TNI will have an advisor. This will make the force vulnerable to conflicts of interest, given Tahir's position as a businessman,' he said.
While acknowledging the fact that military personnel lacked proper housing and were sometimes underpaid, Al Araf, a military expert from human rights watchdog Imparsial said that the government held full responsibility for improving the welfare of soldiers.
'The TNI must be transparent and accountable in managing its budget. The force should have allocated more funds to personnel welfare,' he said.
Constitutional law expert Refly Harun concurred with Rizal and Al Araf.
'It is unusual for a TNI commander to have an economic advisor. The state is responsible for providing facilities for its personnel. If Tahir wants to donate 1,000 houses to the TNI, he should channel the donation through the Public Housing Ministry, in order to prevent a conflict of interest,' Refly said.
Golkar Party member Tantowi Yahya, the deputy chairman of House of Representatives Commission I overseeing military and foreign affairs, also expressed concerns about Tahir's appointment.
'In the past, several of our ministers have appointed businessmen as advisors. It is all right for the TNI to have an advisor as long as he does not make any financial contribution. This will contradict the TNI Law stipulating that the force be funded by the state,' said Tantowi.
