Jakarta – Outgoing Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, Air Marshall Djoko Suyanto, said Monday efforts to enhance the TNI's performance and continue internal reforms would not be affected by the change in leadership.
Suyanto will officially hand over his baton to Gen. Djoko Santoso at a ceremony at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Tuesday. Djoko, former Army chief of staff, was installed as the next TNI chief by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Dec. 28.
"Among other things crucial to enhancing the TNI's performance are improving the TNI's weaponry system and personnel education and training systems," Suyanto said at a press conference after a rehearsal for Tuesday's ceremony. "However, that will not be an easy task for the next chief."
Suyanto said under the government's long-term development plan the TNI had yet to receive an ideal budget to defend the country from both domestic and foreign threats.
The Defense Ministry and the TNI had agreed on a "minimum essential force" (MEF) degree of operational readiness the TNI needed to meet, but that the current budget fell far short of implementing it.
It is estimated the TNI needed some Rp 100 trillion (US$10.63 billion) to meet the MEF, or almost three times the Rp 33 trillion allocation of the state budget this year.
During the rehearsal, Suyanto was accompanied by Santoso, Air Force chief of staff Vice Marshall Subandrio, Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Sumardjono and Army chief of Education and Training Command, Lt. Gen. Cornel Simbolon.
Commenting on the TNI's reform agenda, Suyanto said there had been plenty of reform during his 23-month tenure as TNI chief.
"There are several agendas, such as the arrangement of the TNI's business activities, which are not yet finished. This, however, does not mean the TNI is neglecting matters," he said.
"In political practices, the TNI is no longer being represented at the House of Representatives. There also have been some significant steps taken to reform the TNI's internal organization, such as amending doctrine and restructuring operational function."
In the 2007 amended doctrine, the TNI declared it would no longer be involved in politics and that any soldiers wanting to get involved in politics must first resign.
Suyanto said TNI reform was an unfinished task and it would keep on moving, just like the challenges surrounding the TNI itself.
"That is why I need to say the TNI still, and always, puts a lot of hope in other institutions, whether they be governmental, non-governmental, academic and, of course, the press, to continuously provide input for the betterment of the TNI," he said. (uwi)