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View all search resultsAn ignoble end for Indonesian diplomats
President Joko âJokowiâ Widodo has just submitted his list of new ambassador candidates to the House of Representatives, which is expected to interview them by early September
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P
resident Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has just submitted his list of new ambassador candidates to the House of Representatives, which is expected to interview them by early September.
Most of the non-career diplomats on the list are former volunteers who campaigned for Jokowi in last year's presidential election.
Appointing an ambassador is a very serious business. An ambassador is both a personal representative of the head of state and a representative more broadly of the country. Therefore, according to the Constitution, the President requires the 'consideration' of the House.
There are three important actors in the selection and recruitment of an ambassador. These are the Foreign Ministry, the House and the President. It takes almost a year for the selection process to be completed before the departure of an ambassador to his or her accredited country.
Before flying out to their accredited countries, newly appointed ambassadors hold many meetings with various ministry officials as part of their preparation for their diplomatic mission.
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Some former diplomats endure economic difficulties, a stark contrast from the lifestyle they enjoyed when living abroad.
However, when the ambassadors complete their mission, they often become 'forgotten persons'. Worse, though ambassadors are appointed by the President, their term can be terminated at any time by a letter of recall signed by the secretary-general of the Foreign Ministry.
Clearly the practice is against the Constitution and presidential power, but until today no one in the Foreign Ministry has cared about this mistake. In my own case, I succeeded only when I insisted that I would leave my post in Bern after my successor had been appointed and sworn in.
It is an irony that when new ambassadors leave Indonesia for their new posts, the State Palace, the Foreign Ministry and the House hold parties to honor the departing ambassadors. But when they, particularly the political appointees, arrive home after completing the job, there is no welcome home ceremony for them.
They will instead be welcomed by low level officials at the Foreign Ministry who will help them deal with some administrative procedures, such as how to fill in the pension form. A former ambassador receives a monthly pension of around Rp 2,229,000 (US$163).
Beyond the small amount of the pension, any connection between former ambassadors who are non-career diplomats and the Foreign Ministry quickly ends, except for the lucky few who are invited to attend the ceremony to celebrate the anniversary of the Indonesian foreign service, which falls on Aug. 19.
The sad and ignoble end for Indonesian diplomats is worse at the level below the ambassador. For career diplomats who never achieve the rank of ambassador, they will receive a pension as civil servants worth about Rp 3 million each, depending on their last position. There is no official assistance from the Foreign Ministry to find new jobs related to their experience.
Since most career diplomats spend their active duty abroad, they never manage to develop personal business contacts to support their families after retirement. It is a reality that some former diplomats endure economic difficulties, a stark contrast from the lifestyle they enjoy ed when living abroad.
It is estimated that each new batch of junior diplomats who enter the Sekdilu (School of Diplomatic Training) every year, only about one fifth will achieve the top diplomatic post of ambassador. Most of them retire without fulfilling their dream.
Fortunately, when I was a member of the House's Commission I overseeing foreign affairs (2004-2009), I and fellow commission members managed to push the Foreign Ministry to pay more attention to the welfare of our diplomats.
As a result, now the children of diplomats will have their school fees covered by the government, although not in full.
Every time I visited the Sekdilu, I used to see fresh and optimistic young diplomats dutifully attend classes in order to realize their dreams. An opposite mood prevails when I meet fellow former ambassadors and retiring diplomats.
It is not difficult to hear stories of former ambassadors or diplomats taking commuter trains or TransJakarta buses because they cannot afford to buy cars. They are only happy when they meet each other on special occasions, such as at the wedding parties of their colleague's children, or when they are invited to attend the Foreign Ministry's annual celebration.
I'm not arguing that former envoys should get government posts automatically, but I am arguing that the government should assist them by helping them enter the private sector or the academic world.
Doing so would help accelerate the advancement of society. By helping retirees find the right place upon returning home, the Foreign Ministry could spare them from an ignoble end to their diplomatic career.
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The writer is former Indonesian ambassador to Switzerland.
