Convicted Indonesian military general set to get key finance ministry post
JAKARTA: Indonesia is expected to appoint a military officer – once found guilty of kidnapping rights activists – to a top finance ministry post, two sources said, underlining the military's growing role in governing the world's third largest democracy.
The appointment, expected to be formalised by the finance minister on Friday (May 23), is the most prominent civilian post given to a military officer since the government in March gave legal cover to such postings, which rights groups fear could take Indonesia back towards authoritarian rule.
Lieutenant General Djaka Budhi Utama, who was a member of the army's special forces in the 1990s when they were commanded by President Prabowo Subianto, is expected to head the customs and excise unit of the revenue department, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The sources asked not to be identified because they were not authorised to speak to the media on the issue.
The president's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment, nor did a military spokesperson. The finance ministry declined to comment.
Past local media reports say that Utama and several members of the special forces' "Rose Team" were found guilty of kidnapping and forcefully disappearing rights activists in the 1990s during the rule of Suharto, the general turned authoritarian president who was overthrown in 1998.
Utama was sentenced in 1999 to one year and four months in jail after a military trial, according to local media reports, but it is unclear if he served any time in prison. He remained in the military despite the conviction.
"This is a rollback of Indonesia's democratic reform," Amnesty International Indonesia's Usman Hamid told Reuters, also pointing out that, even under the new law, military personnel posted in several civilian positions, including under the finance ministry, had to retire first.
Utama remains in active service.
"This is clear evidence of ignorance towards the victims' rights," said Ardi Manto Adiputra from rights group Imparsial. Utama has also held posts in other ministries, but those were related to security, unlike his expected finance ministry posting.
"To lead the customs unit, it should be someone who understands the complexity of customs issues," Jahen Rezki, an economist at University of Indonesia, said, questioning the appointment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
7 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
‘Just seeing her gives me cold sweat' — Accountant wants to quit her job after just one year because her supervisor blames her for everything that goes wrong
SINGAPORE: A 25-year-old accountant is thinking about leaving her job after just one year due to ongoing issues with her supervisor. Posting on r/askSingapore, she shared that although the job itself isn't terrible and comes with generous benefits like 20 days of annual leave, the daily interactions with her only direct supervisor have taken a toll on her mental well-being. 'My only and direct supervisor has been really hard to work with,' she wrote. 'An example being how she loves to accuse that it MUST be me messing up the printer settings when I don't receive it in my mail.' In another incident, the accountant said she was blamed for misplacing a client's cheque book, only for it to be found later on her supervisor's cluttered desk. The accountant added that, despite desperately wanting to quit, she's afraid that leaving her job so soon might affect her reputation when applying for new roles. She wrote, 'I'm worried that it will look bad in my CV that I'm changing jobs even though I stayed for a year. A friend told me that for my age group, it is very common to be job-hopping, and I shouldn't worry too much. But I would still like to get insights from HR/job recruiters if it will affect the rate of my being hired?' She ended the post by seeking advice from HR professionals and recruiters, asking if staying only a year in her current role would reduce her chances of getting hired elsewhere. 'I appreciate any feedback. I would love to take the step forward because just seeing my supervisor causes me enormous stress that I'd get cold sweat by her calling my name.' 'Better things are out there; no harm in just giving it a try!' In the comments, many assured the accountant that leaving her job after a year is not unusual, especially given the circumstances. Several users, including those who work in human resources or recruitment, explained that staying in a role for at least a year is generally seen as acceptable. One recruiter commented, 'One year is fine; your reason for leaving to be shared with your next prospective employer could simply be looking for better opportunities.' Another shared, 'HR here. If it's the start of your career or if this is the only instance, it's perfectly fine. My suggestion, however, is to start looking. And if the company you are interviewing at asks why you're leaving, say there are no active push factors, but the pull factor that attracted me to your company is (insert some random stuff).' Others shared their own experiences of quitting jobs within a year and still managing to secure better opportunities afterwards. One said, 'My peers and I have changed jobs even with less than one year tenure. Also, there are places with more than 20 days of AL. Better things are out there; no harm in just giving it a try!' In other news, a nursing student took to Reddit to express her frustration over the negative perceptions people have of her chosen career. In her post titled 'Why are nurses so poorly regarded in society despite how hard they work?', the student shared that whenever she tells someone she is studying nursing in a polytechnic, she often receives a 'judgy look.' Some even go so far as to ask whether nursing was her 'first choice.' Read more: 'Why is nursing looked down on?' Student in Singapore pushes back against tired stereotypes Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Independent Singapore
7 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Job applicant walks out of interview after being asked, 'Do you support your parents?' and other personal questions
SINGAPORE: A jobseeker was left shocked and unsettled after a virtual interview with a local IT company took a deeply personal and inappropriate turn, prompting her to exit the session midway. On Friday (June 6), she shared her experience on Reddit's Ask Singapore forum, detailing what she described as 'the worst interview' she's ever encountered. According to her post, the interview was conducted online by someone who identified herself as the company's 'business advisor.' 'It started off alright,' the jobseeker recalled. 'Then came personal questions asking me to speak and describe my family. I did talk about family, gave some brief details, and the follow-up questions were, 'Are your parents working? Do you need to support your parents financially?'' The jobseeker, applying for an account manager role, said she questioned the importance of those personal questions. 'I asked the interviewer what the relevance was to the job scope. And she said, 'I need to know my team well before hiring,'' the jobseeker said. 'After asking for the relevance and expressing to her that I was uncomfortable in answering, the next question was still family-related and personal. Told her I wasn't interested in the job and left the call.' At the end of her post, she asked, 'Anyone has similar experiences with such interview questions?' 'You did the right thing! They should not be allowed to ask these types of questions…' In the discussion thread, many Singaporean Redditors criticised the interviewer's conduct, calling it unprofessional and inappropriate. One said, 'Definitely not relevant and probably discriminatory. If it's the hiring manager, I think that's a bit of a red flag. If you have options, you should report it to HR and imply that you would complain to MOM.' Another wrote, 'Lol. These kinds of questions sound like the company sussing out characteristics to discriminate against employees for.' A third added, 'You did the right thing! They should not be allowed to ask these types of questions; there is a difference between small talk and an invasion of privacy. Anyway, chit-chat is also not very professional. People are hiring for a specific job, not to find a mate. In Europe and in Canada, this type of questioning is not permitted.' Others also shared their own experiences, saying they too had been asked personal questions in interviews that had nothing to do with the job. Some recalled being questioned about their relationship status, religion, family background, or financial responsibilities. One wrote, 'Some hiring managers have no brains. Many years ago, I encountered someone who asked about my religion (admin role in the banking industry). I didn't get shortlisted, dodged a bullet.' Another recounted, 'I had mine ask if I have a BF, and if I will get married. I rejected the job offer as I was not comfortable. I had another question if I'm comfortable dressing up as a manager to meet clients for sales. I retorted rudely, 'What has it got to do with the role?' (not a customer-facing role)? and left immediately.' Interviewers should steer clear of sensitive or discriminatory questions According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), interviewers should ask only job-related questions and avoid topics that could be seen as sensitive or discriminatory. To ensure fairness, employers are encouraged to adopt clear, objective, and relevant selection criteria when shortlisting and evaluating applicants. See also How to Scale Your E-commerce Company From Zero to $100M MOM also advises that job application forms should only collect information necessary to assess a candidate's ability to perform the job. This includes qualifications, skills, knowledge, and work experience. Employers should not request details such as age, gender, race, religion, marital status, pregnancy status, number of children, or disabilities, unless there is a valid and job-related reason to do so. If such information is genuinely required, the purpose must be clearly explained to the applicant. Read also: Wife discovers husband secretly spent S$80k on in-game purchases, plunging family into debt Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Asia First - Jun 2025 - Asia First Fri 6 Jun 2025
02:27:55 Min Asia First From the opening bell across markets in Southeast Asia and China, to the biggest business interviews and top financial stories, tune in to Asia First to kick-start your business day.
