Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko has defended his decision to install business mogul Tahir as his advisor on economic affairs and personnel welfare, underlining it is part of his strategy to improve the livelihood of his officers.

"It would be pointless if I only stared at the welfare disparities of our personnel without doing anything. I took action and am ready to take responsibility for the sake of my personnel's welfare. I am ready to put my [position] at risk," he said on the sidelines of an event in Surakarta, Central Java, on Friday, as quoted by detik.com.

On Thursday, Moeldoko awarded the position to the founder and owner of the Mayapada Group for his great contribution to the military, especially with regard to his planned building of 1,000 houses for active service personnel in Greater Jakarta.

Security experts and lawmakers have questioned the decision, arguing that Tahir's appointment could make the force vulnerable to conflicts of interest.

Tahir is ranked 12th on Forbes' list of the 50 richest men in Indonesia, with an estimated net worth of US$2.05 billion. His Mayapada Group has portfolios in property, banking and the medical sector.

Responding to the criticism, Moeldoko said: "It would be unethical if Gen. Moeldoko's adviser built a house in Pondok Indah [an upmarket housing estate in South Jakarta], but it's okay to build houses for the personnel".

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/20/tni-chief-defends-tycoon-tahir-s-appointment.html