Plans for New Curriculum Have Led To Confusion, Lack of Confidence

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Plans for New Curriculum Have Led To Confusion, Lack of Confidence
Weilin Han & Yohanes Sulaiman | November 29, 2012

The upcoming changes in Indonesia’s educational curriculum have become a hot topic among many educators, especially since September, when Deputy Education and Culture Minister Musliar Kaslim first mentioned the changes.

Many eyebrows were raised when he suggested that science and social science would no longer be taught as independent subjects in elementary school.

Such statements, not surprisingly, generated a lot of controversy. People were asking how children would be expected to learn science. Would science be integrated into civics and religion? Or would everything be put under Indonesian language lessons?

Some are approving the changes, arguing that the student’s current workload is too heavy. Supporters of the changes argue that the new curriculum would be “child-centered,” allowing for the possibilities of children to take responsibility in their own learning through “discovery and inquiry.”

At the same time, however, there are legitimate questions to be asked, notably whether the Ministry of Education and Culture has thought carefully about the new curriculum.

We were recently made aware of an invitation, dated Nov. 13, that was sent to several people who would form a team to work on the new curriculum from Nov. 19 to 22. Not many people knew about the invitation. Those who did were impressed at the team’s amazing display of superior ability that would allow it to create a new curriculum in four days.

Sarcasm aside, there are some serious questions to be asked.

While it is possible to have a nice vacation in Bali or Singapore for four days and it is also possible to attend several workshops in a row and get “certificates of achievement,” is it possible to produce a good and workable national education curriculum in such a short time?

When questions are asked, however, especially to people in the upper rungs of bureaucracy, they seem to compete with each other in issuing more and more confusing statements and explanations of what is in the new curriculum.

Science, which was supposed to be integrated with other subjects, turned out to be some sort of “bridge” that united subjects. All middle school teachers must use computers in their teaching, which ignores the simple fact that not every school in Indonesia can afford computers for a variety of reasons — ranging from the lack of funds, to corruption. In some cases, they can’t even use computers due to the lack of electricity.

There is also a lot of technical jargon in the curriculum, such as “portfolio assessment,” “cooperative and collaborative learning” and “integrated approach.”

While teachers may understand the meaning of these terms, unfortunately it is very difficult for many of them to either implement what is meant or to translate it into something practical, especially when one considers the need to standardize everything to meet the requirements of the test-obsessed bureaucrats. One can only pity the teachers who would have to be retrained and teach the entire thing to students.

More importantly, there are questions about whether the ministry has done a thorough and stringent “test run” regarding the feasibility of the curriculum. According to its official website, the Ministry of Education launched the first “public test” in Manado last Saturday, even though on closer examination, the “public test” in reality was simply a seminar with questions and answers. The draft itself was never made public. It was merely a PowerPoint presentation of the draft circulated among several educators.

Therefore, skeptics can be forgiven for wondering out loud if the new curriculum is another train wreck in the making, considering all the difficulties in getting information about the procedure of the drafting and testing of the new curriculum. If it is supposed to accommodate the concerns of educators and the public in general, shouldn’t people be allowed to ask for a copy of the draft so they can have enough time to study it and draw some sort of conclusion?

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the word “curriculum” has been misused as a buzzword. When Indonesia faced severe natural disasters some time ago, a “natural disaster management curriculum” was made. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the ministry were also said to have released the joint anti-corruption curriculum. Strangely, it is impossible to find it on their official websites. It seems only a couple of people were in the know, while the rest were left confused and frustrated.

In spite of all the confusion, however, the Ministry of Education and Culture has managed to do one thing successfully: create public distrust of its intentions. Even though it’s possible — and we surely hope so — that the new curriculum will be the greatest thing since sliced bread, thanks to this lack of transparency in drafting the curriculum, many people have already decided to distrust it.

A final note. The word “curriculum” is derived from the Latin word meaning “horse racing track,” where there is a beginning, an end, and a path from the start to the end. But in essence, it should be a compass, a guide to achieve a purpose that allows one to follow without getting in the way.

The national education curriculum is supposed to help the next generation prepare for life and help build a better future for the nation. Sadly, however, after spending Rp 171 billion ($18 million) in the haste to launch and implement the new curriculum, the ministry seems to have forgotten the meaning of curriculum.

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hansardwidrick

10:03am Nov 29, 2012

Our bureaucrats playing around with Indonesian children's future. Great news indeed. Children are not lab rats to test their theories!

Pelan2

11:08am Nov 29, 2012

Weilin & Yohanes - spot on - with the quality of the ministries and those working there, being as they are, distrust will always be the first thing popping up, unfortunately. Another window dressing from Muhd. Nuh, to try to show SBY that he is actually doing something, never mind the substance and the end result..

Yohanes-Sulaiman

1:26pm Nov 30, 2012

Thanks to both of you for your comments. It is a shame to see these bureaucrats simply toying with children's education. We won't actually write this oped, had we convinced that they were taking our children's education seriously. We also heard some reports that a book publisher actually had received a draft of the curriculum as far back as September, making this so-called "asking for public input" to be a terrible joke. We, however, don't put it there in our op-ed due to the lack of concrete data. Still, that is very disturbing and further undermine the credibility of this curriculum.

Realist

7:24pm Nov 30, 2012

Oh man! Anyway a basic curriculum for Indonesia should have at least the following to be somewhat effective: Bahasa Indonesia, Math, Science, Social Sciences, Civics, and Sports. Everything else should just be electives! Just my two cents on this matter!

Roland

8:17pm Nov 30, 2012

What an eye opener this article is - mostly as actually suspected. Yohanes’ additional comment in regards of the new and “improved” curriculum basically already fixed far before it was officially announced (who doesn't remember the remarks of one of the lawmakers just a week or so before the official statement of the education ministry was distributed) is one of those indicators.



Oh, there are forces at play which do play havoc with the future of our children and in the long term with the future of Indonesia.



Strange though, most countries I know (even the former east bloc) are very proud to make their education showpieces for the world to see; and while it might have an egoistic background from politicians or governments it still moves the country ahead. Mahfud might have just been correct when he said that the government is infiltrated by mafia - it's just not drug mafia but something far more sinister - certain key ministerial posts are occupied by person with a rather suspicious background. Please let it be 2014 soon and certain parties removed from governing posts.

Be Wary of Foreign Meddlers, Asean

I think the title here is too harsh.... There was a friendly reaction to that, which could be found in the conversation at the end of the article.


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Be Wary of Foreign Meddlers, Asean
Yohanes Sulaiman | November 23, 2012

Barack Obama’s three-day Southeast Asian trip might have been planned a while ago, but it cannot be denied that the timing was perfect.

The US president’s visit to Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia took place in the aftermath of his re-election victory and China’s 18th Party Congress that chose Xi Jinping as the country’s new leader. Even so, the timing reinforces the idea of a pivot that, regardless of the current turmoil in the Middle East or Europe, would focus the gaze of the United States on the Pacific region.

While many US diplomats disclaim the idea of pivot, as noted by Obama in his third debate with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the United States did engage in a pivot. The Pacific region will be the site of rising political and economic power in the future, and thus it is logical that the United States will invest more resources and increase its presence in the region, especially as it also considers itself a Pacific power.

China, of course, is the undeclared competitor in the region, and seen by many US allies in the region as the main threat. Obama’s trip seemed to be calibrated to warn China to temper its ambition. All the countries that he visited were located in an area vulnerable to China’s sway.

For instance, Thaksin Shinawatra, a previous Thai prime minister and brother of the incumbent, was seen as moving Thailand closer to China during his five years as leader to 2006. Myanmar used to be considered a client state of China until it gambled by breaking from China’s orbit and courting the United States. It was richly rewarded through the historic first visit of the US president to the country and much needed investment.

Cambodia, another country seen to be very close to China, was visited due to it holding the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Obama, as well as raising the issue of human rights with Prime Minister Hun Sen, also raised concerns over the South China Sea dispute, in spite of protests from China.

Not surprisingly, the Philippines took the opportunity of having implicit support from the United States to openly challenge China by disputing Cambodia’s assertion that Southeast Asian leaders “had decided that they will not internationalize the South China Sea from now on.” Close to the end of last week’s 21st Asean Summit, the Philippines was joined by Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore to dispute the chairman’s draft statement that there was consensus that the South China Sea issue should not be internationalized.

China in turn went into damage control. While Xi declared China’s firmness in safeguarding its sovereignty, he also threw in some carrots, promising that China would encourage more investment in Asean countries, notably in manufacturing, commercial services and new energy. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also announced that China had expressed interests in buying Thai agricultural products and expanding investment in infrastructure in Thailand.

The question, however, is whether Asean and especially Indonesia can get its act together in light of undue interference from China and the United States.

It cannot be denied that Asean this year, in spite of some achievements — it managed to start negotiations to create the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest trading bloc that will comprise more than three billion people and with a combined gross domestic product of $15 trillion — has taken quite a lot of beatings over the South China Sea issue.

Asean’s unity is in question, and will remain so due to the loose linkages that bind the grouping, making it prone to outside interference. So the association has a lot of homework to do to ensure that it remains relevant beyond economic matters.
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Contextus

8:05am Nov 24, 2012

Extra-regional powers are most welcome if their balancing efforts help to neutralize the threat of a regional or extra-regional power acting in defiance of international law like China in her geopolitical dreams about the South Chinese Sea; setting limits at an early stage is much more rewarding than appeasement.

Yohanes-Sulaiman

11:25am Nov 24, 2012

@Contextus: Of course the problem here is the diverging interests of ASEAN nations, where ASEAN is more of association of conveniences, rather than a true effort to create a united front against foreign threats. It is almost impossible to set a limit in light of the inability of Asean nations to realize that at this rate, ASEAN is on the golden brick road to nowhere.

slowburner

11:46am Nov 24, 2012

Indonesia isn't developing - it's regressing. Any decent Indonesian I've ever met lives overseas away from the blight of their homeland. And they are embarrassed to be Indonesian. Shameful Indonesia.

Yohanes-Sulaiman

12:18pm Nov 24, 2012

@slowburner: I agree, but what that has anything to do with this article?

jchay

8:23am Nov 27, 2012

How would ASEAN ever be free of interference especially from China and US, when the ASEAN countries are not confident enough in the belief that they will be stronger as one region? That's why each country will never stop flirting to China or US, trying to get extra brownie points for themselves..

thus my point is, ASEAN actually welcomes the meddlers! ;)

jojakarta

11:35am Nov 27, 2012

@slowburner. Your comment has nothing to do with this article. Yes Indonesia is regressing in a way if you are so into pakistanised indonesia, environment overexploitation, economic disparity, minority oppression and the like. I am not embarrassed but yes I do weep and lament this tragedy of ours.

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Additional Comments:

A: Hello, just read your Friday Op-ed in the JG, nice article; my main takeaway was that ASEAN needs unity to maintain relevance but I have to disagree some what that China or the US is meddling, I don't think ASEAN operates in a political-economic vacuum so outside interest in this rising region is the new normal. What do you think?

Yohanes Sulaiman:
Thanks for comment. Glad you like it. First though, the title is not mine. It is JG's editor's choice. I really need to start giving them my own title, but I suck in making catchy titles so I delegate that responsibility to them and this is one of few times that I have a facepalm moment

Then again, you are right that I neglect to include that critical paragraph that it is in the interests of both china and US to intervene in the region, putting the article in a more neutral position. Still, the take home point is the same, that as you noted that Asean really needs to get its act together lest it become more and more irrelevant.

But here's the problem that I don't include there and can't really say outloud. Asean is like that by design, to prevent interferences by its own members to each other. Indonesia is especially very adamant about that. Really problematic.

So Asean should be more united, but at the same time, all its members are dragged kicking and screaming toward that. It is like you want a casino but at the same time, you don't want troubles associated with it.

A: All good points; yeah, seems that one of the inherent weakness of ASEAN is that certain blocks or members seek different goals from the org.
Yohanes Sulaiman:
But rather than tackling it, you end up saying that you don't neeed security guard because there's no problem And the more you repeat it, the more you think that your BS is correct. They also don't want security because that means they have to take turn guarding and nonee of them like to either guarding or being ordered to guard.  Thus you got a casino and al Capone next door, but you pretend al Capone is a dominican friar. That, I think what asean is all about

A: I like the analogy! :)

On the Campaign Trail, Image Rules

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On the Campaign Trail, Image Rules
Yohanes Sulaiman | November 13, 2012

"Candidates should cherish controlled dissent, allowing people in the campaign to critically analyze whether their candidate is truly on the path to victory."

The election circus in the United States has come to an end, but that in Indonesia — which will have its own presidential poll in less than two years — is only just beginning. The field here remains wide open, with many surveys indicating that the majority of voters still don’t know any of the possible the candidates well — let alone would be able to decide whom to vote for. But for Indonesian presidential aspirants there are important lessons to be learnt from the US presidential election.

Lesson No. 1 is that money — although always nice to have — cannot buy everything if competitors also have plenty of it. As the Republicans found out, regardless of all the talk of their donors willingly donating millions of dollars through political action committees to defeat President Barack Obama, the Democrats in the end managed to match the massive Republican war chest.

While money is still important, because you need it to build a campaigning infrastructure and for political advertising, with the cash-stalemate going on, the next election in Indonesia will be fought down in the trenches.

Candidates’ personal rapport with regular Indonesians, effective use of social media to spread campaign messages, generating voter turnout and enthusiasm, and political messaging will be crucial. Here Obama’s campaign performed much better than Mitt Romney’s. The Obama campaign convinced enough people to cast their votes, which allowed them to win the election.

Given that all the presumptive candidates in the next Indonesian election have deep pockets or at least are backed by generous billionaires, it is simply impossible that any particular candidate will be able to dominate the airwaves. Vote-buying will be difficult too, because there will be other bidders, which causes prices to rise.

As the recent Jakarta gubernatorial election shows, even though Governor Fauzi Bowo had seven times more money in his war chest than his challenger Joko Widodo, in the end Jokowi emerged the winner simply because Jokowi could generate more enthusiasm.

This brings us to lesson No. 2, which is to define yourself and your opponents as soon as possible. As Romney painfully found out, once Obama and his supporters managed to define him as an uncaring billionaire born with a silver spoon in his mouth, it was very difficult to overcome such a caricature. Each misstep was then used to reinforce the image of an out-of-touch political opportunist.

In the meantime, Romney was also unable to answer to Obama’s negative campaign messages and to sell himself to make the voters think they did know him, which would make them more passionate in supporting him. While Romney’s superior performance in his first debate managed to create some momentum, it could not defeat months of bad news and negative campaigns. So in the end, he lost.

With the majority of the voters in the next Indonesian presidential election being, at least until now, undecided and unfamiliar with the candidates, it is imperative that they quickly define and sell themselves to the voters and try to address any perceived weaknesses. Candidates should not assume that, for instance, by simply wearing Jokowi’s checkered shirt they could emulate Jokowi’s success. Jokowi had his own accomplishments as mayor of Solo to boast and he built upon it an image of a competent reformer and Mr. Fix-it-all, which led to outright Jokowi-mania.

Candidates clearly have to educate voters about their accomplishments, their plans, and their familiarity with the important issues. But more importantly, they need to be prepared and maintain discipline to prevent gaffes that could be used to sink their campaigns.

Candidates therefore should not surround themselves with yes-men and pollsters only interested in keeping their clients happy and keeping their contracts. That is one of the main reasons why Romney’s campaign crashed and burned. With the campaign insulated from bad news and aides unwilling to strongly challenge what they thought were bad decisions, it could not react and take quick and decisive action to prevent damage from spreading.

Candidates should cherish controlled dissent, allowing people in the campaign to critically analyze whether their candidate is truly on the path to victory. Without dissent, any campaign is doomed.

With Jakartans’ Great Expectations to Manage, Jokowi and Ahok Start Off on the Right Feet

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With Jakartans’ Great Expectations to Manage, Jokowi and Ahok Start Off on the Right Feet
Yohanes Sulaiman | October 24, 2012

Last week, the new gubernatorial duo of Joko Widodo and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama were finally sworn in. After their success at the ballot box, they now must tackle one very important problem: managing the incredibly high expectations about their ability to solve Jakarta’s myriad problems.

With such high expectations about traffic, flooding and social ills, both voters and political opponents of the pair, better known as Jokowi and Ahok, are demanding quick, palpable results.

Voters are fickle and easily disappointed, especially when they think they voted for a miracle worker.

Political opponents, however, see the pair as a threat both to their personal ambitions and to their parties. Both Jokowi and Ahok’s success could be touted by their backers — the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) — as proof that they are the only ones with competent administrators. This would obviously be a boon in the upcoming 2014 elections.

An inability to live up to the promises of the Jokowi-Ahok campaign would be seized upon by their political opponents to show that they were all talk and no action, and could even be used to ridicule both the PDI-P and Gerindra. Already Amien Rais, the co-founder of the National Mandate Party (PAN), has declared that Jokowi should be seen as a failure if he is unable to solve Jakarta’s traffic jams, social disorder and flooding within 100 days. In truth, nobody in their right mind would consider that even remotely possible.

The biggest task on hand at this point for Jokowi and Ahok is how to deal with these high expectations while at the same time buying enough time to deliver some real results before serious criticism — fair or not — starts to pile in.

So far, they have been pushing the right buttons. Jokowi has embarked on a kampung-hopping junket, visiting various areas of Jakarta and at the same time experiencing Jakarta’s famous, massive traffic jams. Jokowi’s willingness to actually experience the congestion offers a welcome contrast to elected leaders all over Indonesia who prefer motorcades, flanked by patrolmen whose sole duty is to clear the way for public officials unwilling to get stuck in the traffic.

Ahok, in the meantime, has been tackling Jakarta’s bureaucracy, launching surprise inspections and coming up with the idea of putting CCTVs in government offices in order to improve accountability.

While critics might argue that this is all show, smoke and mirrors, at least the pair have been using the public scrutiny effectively. They have managed to create the image that they are trying to understand the problems facing Jakarta and experiencing those problems firsthand.

More importantly, they are pushing for transparency. Unlike other politicians, they seem to actually welcome much scrutiny, hoping that the press will cover them at all times. By doing this, they are hoping to create an aura of accountability so the citizens of Jakarta will see them as trying to govern well.

Even though it will take a while before the massive problems facing Jakarta can be fixed, at least people see that their leaders are trying to do something, validating the trust of the voters that they tirelessly courted during the gubernatorial campaign.

In contrast to Jokowi, the Household Affairs Committee (BURT) is moving the other way with its new plans for the regulation of news coverage at the House of Representatives. Instead of increasing transparency, the BURT is trying to limit journalists’ ability to cover meetings. For instance, journalists would not be able to freely take photographs during meetings. Among other transparency-related concerns, this would minimize the possibility of journalists catching legislators watching pornography on their tablet computers, which happened to Arifinto from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) last year.

Politicians should take notice: Transparency and accountability can be used as political capital. Many politicians in general avoid media scrutiny — by limiting transparency and accountability — because they believe that journalists will only cover their missteps and thus harm their political ambitions. However, if they would actually try to govern well, they would find that all this press scrutiny can also be used to prove that they are actually doing something worthwhile.
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TheSplodge

8:55am Oct 24, 2012

"Amien Rais, the co-founder of the National Mandate Party (PAN), has declared that Jokowi should be seen as a failure if he is unable to solve Jakarta's traffic jams, social disorder and flooding within 100 days."

Yeah right. PAN has been around since 1998 and what has Rais or his party achieved in 14 years, let alone 100 days.


an2

9:52am Oct 24, 2012

Amien Rais is a complete nut. He and the party he funded have NOT contributed anything toward progress of Indonesia. To expect the new governor to solve 60+ years of mismanagement in 100 days just shows that his brain has been zapped...

Serigala-Berbulu-Domba

9:53am Oct 24, 2012

Amien Rais has always been an extremely arrogant individual, great at braying like a donkey, however his accomplishments are best demonstrated by PAN, the party he co-founded - what a bunch of total losers.

Asoegenie

10:50am Oct 25, 2012

Amien Rais, by saying that Jokowi should be seen as a failure if he is unable to solve Jakarta’s traffic jams, social disorder and flooding within 100 days, you show how small-minded you really are. You're just jealous of Jokowi. What has your party really done for the Indonesian people? Nothing, Nada! You should be ashamed of yourself.

menado

12:18pm Oct 25, 2012

dear Jokowi please do abandon the motorcades (Weeooweeoo) here and let the politicians who do nothing but screwing everyone around enjoy the Jakarta traffic.

Roland

12:38pm Oct 25, 2012

I agree with other comments here - Amien Rais' comment shows a complete lack of respect, drips from envy and does sound incredibly arrogant.

Everybody in its right mind understands that the traffic problem cannot be solved within 100 days - gestures can be made, priorities set but that's about it.

If Rais' party is part of the city council I would like to see on how they actually support Jokowi. That should have been priority and not calling people beforehand potential losers. Quite a disturbing person anyhow...Amien Rais I mean...

jchay

2:08pm Oct 25, 2012

Amien Rais is an old fart, let the stinky smell be gone and Jakartans should move on progress with life!

Let us all Jakartans continue to support Jokowi-Ahok's management way of BTP (Bersih Transparan Professional).

Valkyrie

4:38pm Oct 25, 2012

o Amien Rais:

You are a total disappointment!

Arkmahinda

6:14pm Oct 25, 2012

 
"Politicians should take notice: Transparency and accountability can be used as political capital. Many politicians in general avoid media scrutiny — by limiting transparency and accountability — because they believe that journalists will only cover their missteps and thus harm their political ambitions."

This suggests that state officials are not willing to govern this nation in an orderly manner.

Their fear of media coverage shows that they are honestly saying "we are up to no good, look away,"

Another loss to the House. Please your majesty honorable representatives of the people, show us that you are worth it.

NavoShant

6:24pm Oct 25, 2012

Amien Rais' comment: a loser's INSECURITY n ARROGANCE. At least Jokowi Ahok has been trying, they plan n takes one step at a time, unlike some failed ex-president corrupting from the whole country.

not even an ex-president, but president wanna-be

maspanji

9:14am Oct 26, 2012

Amien Rais should go back to sleep ( that is what he is been doing all the time and always misses the train ).

Indonesia's Soldier-Scholars Are Our Best Hope

This is another controversial article of this year. I really don't have anything else to say about this, except the fact that it is very difficult to engage in a debate with one hand tied behind.

In retrospect, I should not engage in debate with people who have zero idea about civil-military relations in Indonesia.

And no, I am not paid by the military to attack SBY. Even if that's the case, that will completely demolish the idea that the military is blindly supporting SBY.

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Indonesia's Soldier-Scholars Are Our Best Hope
Yohanes Sulaiman | October 05, 2012



'The military no longer shields its members from persecution nor turns a blind eye on abuses caused by its members' (Antara Photo/Widodo S. Jusuf)

Today, we celebrate the Indonesian National Armed Forces Day which will be a good opportunity to evaluate how far the Indonesian military has gone since it relinquished power in the aftermath of the fall of Suharto and the signing of the Indonesian Military Law in 2004.

First, it cannot be denied that the armed forces have done what was expected from them. As regulation forbids them from getting involved in politics while in uniform, gone was the military representation in the parliament that was a fixture of the New Order.

The military also formally gave up its business enterprises. For an organization that had been involved in politics constantly since the 1950s, the military’s willingness to completely return to the barracks without much fuss and for giving up its political power was an indication that the military was truly committed to transforming itself into a professional organization.

Second, there have been many positive developments in the past few years, notably the fact that the military as an institution is no longer involved in human rights abuses. In fact, it tried very hard to avoid any actions that would be seen as human rights violations.

While there have still been incidents of violence between military personnel and locals, such as the Atambua incident in March last year (in which a group of soldiers severely beat several locals in East Nusa Tenggara, killing one), they should be seen as isolated incidents.

Unlike in the past, where the entire episode would be have been hushed up, Adm. Agus Suhartono, the chief of the Indonesian Military (TNI), vowed to investigate the case thoroughly, with the deputy commander of the battalion in question, Capt. Nuryanto, apologizing to the victims’ families. In July, several soldiers were tried and sentenced, with one getting expelled from the military.

While critics might justly argue that the sentence was too lenient, it should also be noted as an indication that the military no longer shields its members from persecution nor turns a blind eye to abuses caused by its members. The fact that it is willing to be held accountable over the misdeeds of some of its members should be seen as a welcome development, as senior officers attempt to turn the military into a modern and professional institution that is widely respected and even loved by the public.

At the same time, the military still has a lot of homework to do.

The Atambua incident showed that the military still has a long way to go to become the truly professional organization it aims to be. It still needs to instill more discipline, improve training, change the mind-set of some of its members who are still stuck in the past, and foster close cooperation between civil and military authorities.

More importantly, however, the TNI needs to redefine its purpose in the new era. It has to start answering the difficult questions, notably what kind of military is needed in the future to protect the entire Indonesian archipelago?

Should the TNI simply be content with defending Indonesian territory, or should it also look at the entire Southeast Asian region as its sphere of interest, and thus get involved with the defense of Indonesia’s friends in the region? Should Indonesia actually be involved in regional disputes, notably the ongoing dispute involving multiple nations in the South China Sea?

In order to answer those questions, the military needs to have more soldier-scholars, people with strong military backgrounds and at the same time strong academic backgrounds, as they are able to grasp the current situation and think about long-term strategic planning. Examples of such soldier-scholars of the past are Gen. T.B. Simatupang and Gen. Abdul Haris Nasution.

These soldier-scholars, however, could only exist when the TNI allowed more soldiers to grapple and experiment with untested ideas without the fear of having their career derailed for having an unorthodox mind-set.

While the military has been moving in that direction, it needs to provide additional institutional support to foster more exchange of ideas among officers and to create an outlet for those who dare to criticize the system.

In the end, it is the wish of every Indonesian soldier to have a professional and well-respected military organization with a broad vision to safeguard Indonesian interests locally and globally.

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DasMonk

9:15pm Oct 5, 2012

sir

the tni have not withdrawn fron business activity, please check the lists of seo commissioners and you can see the truth, in addition the tni are now dealing directly creating alternative cash streams - tanks, aircraft other procurement etc

also the illegal activity stands proud as is well known

as for not protecting... show me a single mid ranking to senior officer who is in jail, like the fpi they offer up sacraficial lambs

i fully accept there are less cases of violence we are aware of and that is +ve however some suggest and with good evidence they now get other civilian groups to do the mafia stuff

they hv further to go than you suggest i think, perhaps you have fallen for the prabowo hyperbole?

tni marks out of ten... 4

YS marks from 10... 5

the picture remonds me of Another Brick in the Wall

Yohanes-Sulaiman

10:00pm Oct 5, 2012

Do you mean SOE (State-Owned Enterprises)? All of the commissioners are retired generals, and while nepotism in some cases play a role here, they are not in the TNI institution anymore. Same thing with the TNI-connection with the radical groups, such as the FPI -- the FPI was originally sponsored by several retired generals, not active generals in the TNI.

Ok, the TNI is still not perfect, they still have a long way to go, considering that it takes decades to reform the entire culture and we only have 8 years since the implementation of UU 34/2004.

And actually the TNI is seen as the only organization in Indonesia truly committed to reform and that's why in every survey, the TNI constantly seen by people as the most respected organization.

Thus, to completely dismiss their attempts to reform is to do many good men and women currently serving there a huge injustice.

About Prabowo, he has already retired and has nothing to do with the current active-duty TNI personnel.

DasMonk

6:18am Oct 6, 2012

Sir

The link between retired and active is real and strong, to separate them is naive and unreasonable in business and politics here.

Apart from the commissioners SEO’s there is significant evidence that the TNI has not relinquished its direct interests in businesses. Refer to JP ‘Editorial: Incomplete reforms’ Fri, October 05 2012 (yesterday)there are other recent sources from HRW to the Int Press that contradict your view.

No not perfect but I agree they have made progress, I do not mean to dismiss nor demean those who are actively reforming. How superficial that reform is only time will tell. To your statement ‘they are seen as the only..reform’, the question is, are we being prepared for a new caring New Order? who are the only organisation capable of ending the violence and corruption? They want us to believe it is so. My own comment on this is that power corrupts and ultimate power, the joining of political and military speeds that process.

JohnGalt

7:57am Oct 6, 2012

Yohanes, you forgot to mention one very important contribution, the contribution that TNI makes in sending officers and staff to some very dangerous and difficult missions as UN peace keeping forces.

Although much derided, they perform very well, mobilize to very difficult places that other will not go to and and with limited numbers and supporting materiel, they save lives. By their nature of being asian they form very strong and popular connection with local populations in many African and other countries.

They are highly respected in the UN Peace keeping forces and provide essential services. I have met many Mid-ranking officers on foreign duty and they are every bit as professional and highly trained as they counterparts in other units.

The younger Generation of Officers are highly educated professionals that will change the nature of TNI for the better in the future. They see their careers in a more modern and professional light. TNI has come a long way already.

Roland

11:11am Oct 6, 2012

..and not to forget the President himself, who indeed comes from the ranks too (although obviously retired and elected in his current position in a democratic process).

It is most obvious that he still maintains very close ties to the army and within his relatives.

Since his initial inauguration the defense budget more than tripled, on first sight to balance the loss of private businesses, held by the army and which used to fill the coffers, but it is still not out in public how many businesses the army itself still holds or just moved on to other businesses to give the illusion that they dropped this lucrative source of income.

Yes there was a certain transformation to the better, good so and indeed needed, but members of the army still show arrogance against the very public they are supposed to defend and protect and there are still indications that not only high ranking officers but also regular soldiers believe that they are above the law of this country.

Still lots of work to do

Yohanes-Sulaiman

12:24pm Oct 6, 2012

DasMonk: Try asking any active officers and ask them whether they would obey an order from a retired general, and they will have a funny at you. Unlike during the Suharto's era, they are now making a clear delineation between active and retired generals. They will still respect the retired ones, will invite them once in a while, etc., but those retirees could not do anything to command the active-duty personnel. There is no way in hell Prabowo is going to tell active duty soldiers to e.g. help him launch a coup. First, he is not THAT popular among ranks, and second he is retired. Basically the view is that "you have your 5 minutes of fame already, and time to give spotlights to other new generals."

On military's enterprises, yes there are still illegal lodgings etc, but you have to look at the context that a lot of soldiers are still badly paid, and the money from the state budget is not enough at this point to pay them all. It is actually the duty of commanders to give troops enough
money for salaries, funds, etc; and that's why they still resort to illegal businesses enterprises.

I will combine my answer to you with Roland: you see that's the problem. Indonesia has too many soldiers that they cannot get rid of too many of them at once, lest you want a real military rebellion. At the same time, Indonesia badly need new armaments, notably patrol ships and fighters, and they are very expensive. Thus you still have to have the same dilemma: low salaries, and state that could not fund everything at once, forcing some commanders to still rely on illegal enterprises, lest they would face a real riot, like the one happened a couple years ago in Papua.

Frankly, I will give them a break for now, as long as the trajectory is still good, you need to give them enough time and money to completely reform themselves.

I am not denying that there are still bad soldiers, but from my observations, majority do want to change, and that's good in my book.

This is a really bloated organization with so many mess in it, that dated not only from 1950s, but also from the beginning of the republic in 1945. They need a lot of energy, effort, and time to change their mindset completely. The trend in the past few years, however, is encouraging, and that, I think what really counts.

@John Galt: I would put it, but I have a 700-words limitation for this article. But, I agree. most younger generation in the TNI that I have met are wonderful people that would do their best to change this messed up system. It is our duty to encourage them and at the same time, to constructively criticize them.

DasMonk

2:04pm Oct 6, 2012

Sir

I understand your point but you are now swaying away from your initial statements. We have now established, and agreed that TNI have current influence and business interests legal and illegal, despite your initial assertion. The extent of retired influence we disagree upon. I will tell you this though, if I want to know the dirt on anything I ask my great uncle who is a not so senior retired soldier, he is usually 100% on the coin.

Now you state 'This is a really bloated organization with so many mess in it'... So agreeing the progress is minimal, possibly even superficial.

They have made progress, I believe however you are playing their progress up

too many progresses spoil the post..



Debate is healthy and without 22's retarded input it is informative and enjoyable. Please note this WEd. You still get your hits without ridiculous interjection

Ferasio

3:02pm Oct 6, 2012

"if I want to know the dirt on anything I ask my great uncle who is a not so senior retired soldier, he is usually 100% on the coin." two points of contention with this statement. first, not so senior and retired from force years ago not considered good source of advice.Second, all your interested in is always dirt and never anything positives in most of your posts., including here.

Yohanes-Sulaiman

3:33pm Oct 6, 2012

DasMonk: We might argue about semantics here, but the military did give up their legal enterprises, such as Mandala Air. There are still some illegal enterprises, e.g. lodging, but none of them is controlled by the military as an institution, and that's the key difference -- institutional control vs. some individual generals' control. The military as an institution is cleaning the house.

You see, if your great uncle know so much about the dirt of the military, why don't you ask him, instead of me? He must be able to tell you more than I do. In the meantime, please also ask him how much influence he can still pull -- in the military HQ? You will find his influence to be limited mostly to some small perks, such as having his acquaintance to be allowed to join the military. There is no way he can still influence major decision making process in the military HQ. Or, maybe he can tell you how bad the progress within the military currently?

On the issue of progress, instead asking your senior retired great uncle, maybe you should ask still-active duty soldiers, and ask them to compare the military before and after reformation.

The military might still be a bloated institution, that need to get rid a lot of their excesses, but at least they are trying to do it, and they have been making good progress in doing it. I am happy to plead guilty as accused that I am playing up their progress, if that means that it will further encourage people in the military to keep up with reforms.

I am, however, not playing up their progresses, and I don't think I am doing that in my article. I even noted their problems, e.g. Atambua.

There are still many things to do, but at least as an institution, they are willing to engage in much-needed reform. That should be seen as something positive, especially considering the entire police-vs-kpk fight that currently going on.

DasMonk

4:43pm Oct 6, 2012

Sir

I have not said there has been no progress, however you stated they have given up interests in SOE and they clearly have not, Or perhaps The Post Editorial I linked you to from Friday is not true? Or the HRW reports from May and others from Tempo? Dont forget the deadline was 2008.As yet I have not seen a government statement 3 years after the deadline. Why is that? No influence? really?

Again, I acknowledge progress but my point is the progress is not as significant as you have portrayed, in fact the idea retired generals have no sway is simply closing ones eyes.

Sir, we agree on many points but on several as indicated I believe you are wide of the mark. As for consulting with current officers, quite honestly sir I would be in fear for what stating I actually know regarding current illegal activities

lets agree to disagree since I am committed to not being drawn by JG's pro sharia, pro TNI, pro Prabowo, pro SBY, pro greed and anti everything else puppet

Good night YS

Yohanes-Sulaiman

5:35pm Oct 6, 2012

Again, what do you mean by "no influence?" Are we talking about the retirees or the military as an institution here? You really should ask your great uncle to see how much influence he can still wield in the military. Once you are done talking to him, then maybe you will realize one simple fact that the retirees cannot influence the chain of command in the military HQ, and the chain of command system is what really matters in the decision-making within the TNI -- well, aside of the president, due to his position.

Basically our debate is whether the glass is half empty or half full. I tend to see it as half full, while it is half empty for you. I don't think we can reach an agreement here.

Besides if you really understand the military, there are 'things which are done' and things which are 'not done," especially in a public forum like this.

Contextus

7:20pm Oct 6, 2012

In Thailand nobody has the slightest idea how to eradicate the unconstitutional influence of army and monarchy, and the Thai lèse majesté legislation effectively impedes any discussion of the palace. Therefore the great achievement of the TNI’s return to the barracks should be appreciated as a necessary condition for the possibility of democracy.



"Among the greatest tragedies of Thailand’s modern history — and the most damaging and prolonged misjudgment of Bhumibol’s six decades on the throne — is the disastrous influence the military has been allowed to exert

over the kingdom’s politics. Since 1932, Thailand’s history has been shaped by the shifting balance of power between three institutions: the monarchy, the military, and parliament. For the vast majority of the time, the Royal Thai Army has had the dominant role, usually — although not always — with the explicit backing of, and in alliance with, King Bhumibol."



http://www.zenjournalist.com/?wpdmact=process&did=Mi5ob3RsaW5r

DasMonk

7:32am Oct 7, 2012

Sir, I was not referring to you by the way I was referring to JG's self styled guru of malicious intent

My final fling; The glass is filling, but not as fast as you imply.

johnEnglish8:12am Oct 7, 2012

Yesterday, in the traffic, I saw guy on a motorcycle carrying a pillion passenger, pull over and brutally attack another motorcyclist. The aggressor was in military uniform and the poor guy that got beaten up seemed powerless to retaliate.

Yohanes-Sulaiman

8:53am Oct 8, 2012

DasMonk: You do realize that many premans now, such as the Pemuda Pancasila, are also wearing uniforms similar to the military's uniforms? If you see those kind of incidents, feel free to report them.

DasMonk

9:36am Oct 8, 2012

Sir

please note it was Johns post I reposted. To make a point, I was not there...



Report a policeman to another policeman? are you insane or just living in an idealistic vacuum???? Please do me the courtesy of thinking before you reply.



Yes, of course I know there are a million uniforms, a sad mirror to the nation and the military past that is being reformed (sic) I see the reformation every day Sir as I see young children marching and singing nationalist songs preparing them for what?

Yohanes-Sulaiman

1:30pm Oct 8, 2012

Report the military personnel to their commander or just write a reader's letter in the newspaper, stating which unit, etc. Need I remind you that a couple of weeks ago, there's a military officer was videotaped as beating a motorcyclist and the military was immediately did an internal investigation on this matter?



Unlike in the new order or in the police force, the military is taking this internal reform very seriously. If the personnel is guilty, then the TNI will take care of it.

DasMonk

7:10am Oct 9, 2012

Sir

The TNI officer reported has been punished?? no

Sir, your ideals are worth applause and again I stress strides have been made,

I many are swallowing the food that leads us to a path of an official New New Order

The populous is sick and tired of a government and leadership that is failing the majority of them in terms of dealing with the real daily issues the police (we agree) are probably the most perverted group on this planet. So a reformed and caring TNI.. The only real problem is they have huge illegal activities and still have significant interests in business. Power will halt reforms and within a short time reverse them, in the mean time we will be left with another period of forced stability, reminiscent of 'guided democracy' which sir is how I see the nation going.

Thank you sir for the intercoures

Valkyrie

9:42am Oct 9, 2012

Yohanes...

I've read with great interest the exchanges between you and DM.

Here's my personal view. People in "uniform" have the attitude of I am an "untouchable." I have observed that many adore wearing a uniform and the feeling of 'power' that accompanies it.

You suggest writing a letter to the media? You really serious? Even Novel is now fearing for his life.

They are too powerful for the ordinary (single) guy on the street to cross swords with.....and, you know that!

Your suggestion is beyond my comprehension.

ps

I tried once at the Immigration Office to fight for my rights. Make an intelligent guess what transpired thereafter. You are an Indonesian and you DO NOT completely feel what we expats go through.

MikeOfAston

10:14am Oct 9, 2012

Valkyrie / DasMonk - I am more with you but don't you think Yohanes-Sulaiman's job at Indonesian Defense University color his thought (which he would deny of course)?

jchay

10:54am Oct 9, 2012

Yohanes, I have to agree with Valkyrie, just like all public servants we have, Indonesian Military also have their share of "untouchable" mentality problem!



So what happened to the Kapten who videotaped beating a motorcyclist with his gun? What was the result of their so-called internal investigation? Have we seen any public servants being seriously punished by their "internal" system (see Arifinto)? Not until these public servants and so-called people representatives realize what it means by being public servants, that they are paid by the people's hard-earned tax paying money, and their role is to serve the people of Indonesia (not the other way around!), nothing will change. The impunity is simply the icing on the cake.

Valkyrie

11:32am Oct 9, 2012

Mike...



Inadvertently, I believe it would. Deny? No, he's too much of a gentleman to do that.



@jchay... Thanks!

DasMonk

1:04pm Oct 9, 2012

I have since being a member of this forum enjoyed YS's often scathing attacks of SBY. In light of this articles inaccuracies one must question why SBY gets the tongue lashing whilst corrupt generals are praised?

If the TNI is reformed as implied then its praise due to SBY and yet not one mention...

When one further extrapolates that thinking (hypothetically of course) taking in the very real link between YS and the military it begs the question of motive.

Perhaps I am just living in the past when Indonesia was run by military men and those associated with them, or perhaps I am living in fear of history repeating itself.

DrDez

6:55pm Oct 11, 2012

Last month I was invited to attend a student (SMA) debate in Denpasar and was truly astounded and blown away by the skill and conviction these young Balinese boys and girls debated a range of current issues. In English may I add.

It seems to me young Safi may have graduated from that school of debaters.

I admire Yohanes a great deal, few have the conviction and awareness regarding challenging the status quo of RI politics and I like it.

However on this occasion I would suggest the young lady from Ubud has bested the self styled voice of the moderate military - I look forward to round 2...

Police Must Stop Pretending That Student Fights Aren’t Really Happening

--
Police Must Stop Pretending That Student Fights Aren’t Really Happening
Yohanes Sulaiman | September 27, 2012

In light of the death of Alawy Yusianto Putra, caused by an attack by students from the SMAN 70 high school on students at SMUN 6, pundits as usual decry the growing violence of Indonesian youths. The usual suspects, such as absent parents, the media’s glorification of violence, bad traditions, peer pressure, and the lack of thorough moral education will be discussed and debated endlessly. 

There is, however, a missing actor in the discussion, notably law enforcement. 

Take a quick walk around the neighborhood and it is easy these days to spot children riding their motorcycles carelessly, without helmets. It is also easy to find three of them riding on a single motorbike. They even do this in front of passing police patrols, and the police do nothing to fix this. 

It could be argued that the police are simply overwhelmed; that there are simply too many people disregarding the law, and that it is impossible to arrest them all. At the same time, however, such flouting of the rules of the road does not happen all of a sudden. It happens slowly, with a few people going unpunished, and the others simply following suit. Before long, the community thinks of it as something normal, something that police don’t try to stop anyway. 

The police don’t crack down on this because of various reasons. The locals notice this. By not stopping these careless actions, people in the community think that the police simply don’t care. The end result, however, is that people no longer have an incentive to obey the traffic laws. 

This same logic could be applied to how the police handle brawls among students. It would have been impossible to stage such a blatant out-in-the-open fight, such as the one between SMAN 70 and SMAN 6 that is currently being spotlighted in the media, had there been police presence in the area in the first place. It would be impossible to have a standing tradition of open fights between SMAN 70 and SMAN 6 had the police arrested students at the outset. 

Part of the police’s hesitation to intervene in these fights might be from indifference, the belief that “boys will be boys.” Some might think that fights among students are simply a normal rite of passage for students. The view that seems to be commonly held is that it is OK to have fights as long as nobody dies. 

It is no longer uncommon to listen to news radio such as Elshinta and hear warnings from citizens to avoid a particular street because students from two schools are involved in a fight. What is fascinating about the entire episode is the fact that the news announcers are generally unfazed; more concerned about the status of the traffic than whether someone was injured or killed. What was even more interesting was the fact that neither the announcers nor the “concerned” citizens discussed the need to call the police to arrest those who were involved and responsible. 

Another reason that the police might not intervene in these matters is that many of the students involved have well-connected parents. 

VivaNews reported that SMAN 70 received Rp 15 billion ($1.5 million) annually in donations. Simply arresting those involved in the brawls might create some awkward moments for these high-society parents, who might then use their influence to force the police to impose a “slap-on-the-wrist” punishment, even though news reports stated that many of the students were seen bringing sharp weapons to their fights. 

Therefore, it is sad to say that in spite of Alawy Yusianto Putra’s untimely death, life will go on. 

Fights will remain a rite of passage for students, and police will continue to pretend that they don’t happen. 

The violence might slow down or even stop for now, due to the media attention, but as time goes on the fights will restart and the circle of violence will recommence. 

That is, unless society starts saying that enough is enough; that there should be a stop to the brawls. And the police should intervene to prevent and stop student brawls and arrest those responsible. 

----

whistler

12:50pm Sep 27, 2012

If there is ano money to be made from intervening in these student brawls, then dont expect the police to step in.

By rights the police should step in and apply the child psycology that is required. I mean by that statement if these young thugs want to inflict pain on other kids let the police crack a few of the thug's heads together.

It is obvious that the paents have no sense of parental responsibility to instill a grounding in civic respect and duty in their children.

Is it any wonder that Indonesia has become a country with no ides of civic or social conscience.

benjol48

5:21pm Sep 27, 2012

Being policemen was not an easy job in Indonesia because too many bad cops . Law and regulations became blur , and if the police try hard to stand by it , people automatically accused the of wanting a bribe or extort money. As for students in this case it should not happened it in the first place, and gang style war between them so shameful for the nation . Parents sent their kid to school and become future leaders of Indonesia , knowing now there are just a bunch of cowards was really sad.

 

Yohanes-Sulaiman

7:45pm Sep 27, 2012

Thank you for your comments. I think we need to have a major police reform in Indonesia, to make the police emphasis a bottom-up approach, instead of the current top-down paramilitary system that does not address local problems.

 

DrDez

7:04pm Sep 28, 2012

I would suggest the reform starts at the top YS - The very top

 

 

devine

7:17pm Sep 28, 2012

DrDez, but the one at the very top seems to be overhelmed. He certainly is a nice guy but he obviously can't cope with the myriards of problems... not even a fraction of it.

Funny, some 20 years ago I though of what would I be doing as No1... so many hopes, so many visions! Now? Whaa... no idea how to clean up the mess. Unless I would be given Dictator's powers... sad... but true...

Valkyrie

7:51pm Sep 28, 2012

Yohanes...

I distinctly heard over a TV report that the perpetrator is "seorang anak pejabat."

Our son attends a public school and we had to "donate" a little over 6 Million upon admission into Senior High, a year ago.

I was very much against this payment for obvious reasons and wanted an explanation from the Ministry. I sent several emails asking for clarification. No replies came.

You know what? Parents had to sign a letter that this money was given on our own accord and the school did not influence us to "donate."

Yes, I submitted to their request for the sake of our son. I saw the fear on his face when I initially refused to cough out the amount.

I refuse to believe that the Ministry/Minister are not aware of what's going on annually. They have done abolutely zilch about curbing these activities.

The beauty of it all....the kids all know about it.

This country is going to the dogs.

devine

8:44pm Sep 28, 2012

Val; yes, very sad and 100% true! And nobody is ashamed at schools or further up. And our Pres sleeps and pretends everything is ok in every respect. Incredible Indonesia, once again!

I am currently having a serious fight against our local school. 70% of kids drive in and out of school without helmet! And all I got so far is "big smiles" of the head of school, like "what the heck this idiot wants"..."we are responsible for ecucation and not for traffic rules"... if you have a problem you should report to police... would you believe that!!!?

I am starting to loose all my hope!