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View all search results‘Izin’ and ‘Siap!’: Military lingo creeps into civilian life
The use of military-related language such as ‘siap!’ (ready) among civilians in formal and casual settings has been common at a time when the military is expanding its role into civilian affairs across the country.
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Participants of the Bachelor of Development Mobilizer Program (SPPI) march during a session of the nationalism and managerial training program for Red and White Cooperative manager candidates on June 30 at the Indonesian Army's Health Center in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
T
he last time Rustam Simanjuntak sent a message to his lecturer, the 22-year-old instinctively opened with “Mohon izin bertanya, Pak”, or “Permission to ask, sir” before getting to his point.
In Indonesia, the word “izin” (permission) is associated with the hierarchical communication style of the military, where deference to rank is deeply embedded and subordinates are expected to seek permission before speaking.
“If I didn’t put it that way, the lecturer would think I was being rude,” Rustam, a pharmacy graduate from the University of North Sumatra (USU), told The Jakarta Post.
“To be honest, it does carry a military nuance, but I ended up following the culture here,” he went on to say, adding that he never likes asking for permissions before being able to speak.
Having taken his pharmacist’s oath in April, Rustam said he had sometimes carried the habit in professional interactions outside campus, where he was told that asking for permission before speaking was unnecessary, a response he welcomed.
The term “izin” as well as other words have become increasingly common in everyday civilian interactions, especially in formal settings such as in universities and offices, at a time when the military’s expanding role beyond its traditional focus of defense has drawn growing scrutiny.
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