TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of retired army generals reside in more than single house units in the Cijantung military housing complex. They appropriated residential permit papers.

THIS in fact is no new story – the imbalance between the lives of army privates and their generals is like the difference between the earth and the heavens. Couple that with corrupt behavior on the part of the high-ranking officers, the discrepancy becomes unbelievable. At the Cijantung II Army Housing Complex, East Jakarta, a number of high-ranking officers and pensioner generals are known to reside in more than single housing units. Yet, in other places, low-rank soldiers have difficulty obtaining a unit to live in.

The Indonesian Military – in this case, the Jayakarta Regional Military Command known by its acronym, Kodam Jaya – should not allow this to happen. High-rank officers and retirees may reside in appointed units until they and their spouses pass away. But appropriating more than a single unit to reside in is conduct unbecoming.

The inequality is caused by administration turning a blind eye towards those living in units they have no right residing in. Apparently, any party, soldier or not, wishing to obtain a unit can “purchase” them from the former residents. When a deal has been successfully made, the new residents simply report to their army unit. Appropriation of more than a single unit by several retired officers went through this method.

The military should not turn a blind eye to this practice of transferring residential permit papers. The Army leadership should prohibit the practice to make way for rightful soldiers needing housing. To date, the transference of residential permits, or VB from the Dutch term verhuren besluit, as has happened in Cijantung, occurred because of opaque rules. Without a firm legal basis to stand from, putting things in order will prove difficult.

Kodam Jaya once did an intermittent check. But the act was only done against houses resided in by the kin of retired officers. Curbing action has never been conducted against generals and retiree high ranking officers owning more than a single housing unit. This favored treatment reiterates the notion that the law is soft towards those in upper echelons and harsh to those on the bottom rungs.

Observing the welfare discrepancy between high ranks and privates and foot soldiers, there is truth in the loud whispering abounding that “there are no poor generals.” Several generals can with ease access facilities and resources, but not so low-rank soldiers. We often hear of privates providing backing for entertainment outlets or conducting criminal activity to supplement their paltry incomes. This irony would not occur if their commandants put more effort into thinking about the welfare of their subordinates instead of only their own.

Army generals could emulate the behavior of the late M. Jusuf, the Commander of the Armed Forces between 1978-1983. Jusuf was known as a general who paid great attention to the welfare of soldiers. He built housing for low ranking soldiers in many areas. He did not accumulate wealth for himself and was greatly loved by his minions – a shining example difficult to find the likes of nowadays.

The government would do well to realize the promise of creating an easy house mortgage for up to 30 years for soldiers. There are currently 250,000 soldiers – more than half of them in the army – who have no housing.

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