"I will propose to President Joko Widodo to improve the welfare of our veterans. We will think about steps to put LVRI (the Indonesian Veterans Legion) in a better place," he noted while attending the National Veterans Day in Solo, Central Java.
Subianto remarked that the services of the veterans have been extraordinary. Even the veterans of the 1945 generation, including the generation of Brigadier General Slamet Riyadi, still continue to serve the country.
"Once the war was over, what did they do? The young ones pursued education, while others built schools. Now, there are Veterans National Development University (UPN) in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta, not to mention the high schools and vocational schools that they built," he remarked.
He affirmed that those efforts were made to enable Indonesia to gain greater respect and prosperity.
Subianto said his side currently continues to implement a strict strategy, including improving the defense and security system for the Indonesian people.
"These include natural resources, human resources, and artificial resources. Our role model is General Sudirman, and from him, we learn not to give up on pursuing our goals," he affirmed.
He said that the key to Indonesia's strength to face potential threats is to strengthen its national identity in addition to building unity and solidarity.
On the same occasion, Deputy Chairman I of LVRI, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Muzani Syukur stated that currently, veterans only receive 50 percent of the veteran's allowance in their monthly pension.
"They receive an allowance of Rp875,000 (around US$58) and an honorary fund of Rp938,000. The total is Rp1,813,000 a month, far below the minimum wage. Hence, many veterans live in deprived conditions," Syukur remarked.
Moreover, he noted that several veterans live in uninhabitable homes.
"We have great hopes that the government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing and the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, would carry out renovations for veterans' homes and also an increase in veterans' pension from the government," he added.
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Translator: Aris Wasita, Resinta S
Editor: Anton Santoso
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