Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Muninggar Sri Saraswati – Questions are being raised over President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's timing in addressing the controversial PT Bank Century bailout case during the opening of the leadership meeting of the Indonesian Armed Forces at its headquarters in Cilangkap on Monday.

"The Century case certainly has nothing to do with the military. Why didn't he speak about government assistance to improve military equipment or how to support the military protecting the remote areas of Indonesia?" said Ikrar Nusa Bakti, a political analyst at the Indonesia Science Institute (LIPI).

In his speech, Yudhoyono told high-ranking military officials that the government should not face criminal charges over its decision to bail out Bank Century as the rescue was aimed solely at safeguarding the national economy from the global financial crisis.

"I consider that the real policy could not be charged [criminally]," said the president, repeating his call for the people to take into account the condition of the economy at home and abroad when the decision to throw Bank Century a lifeline was made in 2008.

The president also urged the House of Representatives lawmakers to refrain from manipulating the situation to advance their political interests. "If the purpose of the inquiry is kept straight, it will make the citizens calm," Yudhoyono said.

But Ikrar called the president's speech "reckless" and said it could spark allegations that the president was seeking protection from the military.

The speech comes after talk that the president could be impeached over the bailout scandal and three days before protests planned for Thursday to call for his ouster. "That could be translated into an attempt to drag back the military into politics," Ikrar added.

During Suharto's dictatorship, the military was not only a security force but also a political power that helped him retain a tight grip on power for more than three decades.

Under the military law passed in 2004 and a number of other legal codes, active military personnel are barred from political activities, including participation in political events and serving as campaign volunteers.

However, the military's territorial command presence, which brings it into close contact with local communities across the archipelago, has often been used to influence people's choices during elections or to retain stability.

However, Arya Bima, who chairs the Charta Politika political consultancy, argued that there was nothing wrong with the president's speech.

"The Bank Century case could go anywhere. It has incited mass rallies and all that may affect the security situation. I think it's a good idea for the military to get first-hand information from the president," he said, adding repeatedly that Yudhoyono's speech was "normal."

Haris Rusly, an activist from Petisi 28, the group planning Thursday's mass rallies to demand the ouster of the president over what he calls "failing to improve people's welfare," strongly condemned the head of state for "attempting to seek protection from the military."

"The military's main job is to protect the state and not the government. The Bank Century case is none of the military's business. We will continue to exercise our rights to go to the streets," he said, adding that the demonstrators were not afraid to rally as freedom of expression was guaranteed by the Constitution.

Haris added that he was disappointed with Yudhoyono "for claiming to be a true follower of democracy but doing otherwise."