From mono-loyalty to real discipline
According to news agency reports, the Indonesian government has decided to impose military training for new civil service recruits in a bid to "improve their skills and mentality".
A policy of "mono-loyalty", which requires loyalty by civil servants to the ruling party, Golkar, is already implemented. Civil servants must declare their intention to support other parties to their superiors at work.
All members of the civil service must join KORPRI, the Republic of Indonesia Civil Service Corps organisation, which also officially supports Golkar.
But apparently this alone is not enough to ensure loyalty.
Under a new scheme, newly recruited civil servants will be trained with military discipline for a three-month period by officers from the local armed forces commands.
"The government has decided that the military training would begin next year", said the minister for the utilisation of state apparatus Brigadier General T.B. Silalahi, as quoted by the armed forces daily Angkatan Bersenjata on July 27.
Silalahi said President Suharto had given his approval for the plan.