Alutsista Reform is Prioritized

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

President Joko Widodo pins a badge on Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto, who was inaugurated as the Indonesian Military commander at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday (8/12). Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto replaces Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Newly inaugurated Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto has said that he will continue a number of programs initiated by his immediate predecessor Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo. The programs include a reform of the country’s primary weapons defense system (Alutsista) in line with the minimum essential force.

“Currently, the program is included in the second strategic plan of the 2014-2019 period and we are just waiting to see what needs to be fulfilled immediately. These include jet fighters, air transportation vehicles, radar and submarines. Until 2019, up to 30 percent of the second strategic plan will need to be fulfilled,” Hadi said after he was inaugurated as TNI commander by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday (8/12/2017).

Attending the inauguration ceremony were Vice President Jusuf Kalla, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, heads of state agencies and Cabinet ministers. Hadi, who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1986, is the second TNI commander from the Air Force after Air Chief Marshal (Ret.) Djoko Suyanto who served as TNI commander from 2005 to 2006.

This Saturday, an official handover of the TNI commander’s position from Gatot to Hadi is scheduled at the TNI Headquarters.

When he was asked about the transfers of 85 high-ranking military officers on December 4, Hadi said that there were rules that governed such transfers. “It is governed by the existing general administrative procedures, namely that the personnel have held certain positions for two years and [the transfer] is deemed necessary to support the vision and mission of the military leadership,” Hadi said.

The decision to transfer 85 high-ranking military officers was signed by Gatot one day after President Jokowi signed the letter for the House of Representatives that honorably discharged Gatot as TNI commander and officially appointed Hadi as his replacement. The President signed his letter on December 4 and State Secretary Pratikno sent the letter to the House on the same day.

Gatot said that the process of his signing the transfer letter had begun on November 30 and he was not aware of the President’s plan to replace him as TNI commander at the time (Kompas, 7/12).

Suggestion

Gatot, who also attended Hadi’s inauguration ceremony, said that he did not make any suggestion to his successor. “Why should I? Pak Hadi is my superior now. After the President signed the letter [appointing Hadi as TNI commander], then Pak Hadi is the official, de facto and de jure [TNI commander]. It would be unethical for me to give him suggestions as I am only a high-ranking official at the TNI Headquarters,” he said.

Before attending Hadi’s inauguration ceremony, Gatot visited the Eastern Fleet Command (Koarmatim) headquarters in Surabaya, East Java. Gatot told personnel said that the TNI’s ethos was all about defending the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) on the foundations of Pancasila. Therefore, as the nation approached the political year of 2018, Gatot urged all TNI personnel to remain neutral. The TNI must continuously safeguard NKRI and must not become entrapped by the political maelstrom that is expected to get stronger in 2018.

Gatot delivered a similar message when he visited the Army Strategic Reserves Command’s (Kostrad) Division I headquarters in Cilodong, Depok, West Java, and the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) headquarters on Thursday.

Gatot said that, after Hadi replaced him, he remained a TNI soldier, even after he retired in March 2018. “A soldier must abide by the law and prioritize the people’s interests above all else. Obey his superiors up to the commander-in-chief, namely the legitimately elected President of the Republic of Indonesia,” he said.

(BRO/EDN/HAR)