Military rank confusion in partisan times

"There were many, many times thereafter that Don regretted having enlisted - but so has every man who ever volunteered for military service." 

- Robert A Heinlein (Between Planets)

COMMENT The most tragic of duties an officer has is delivering the news of death to the next of kin. This is something I had to do one cold Penang dawn many years ago. Loved ones always know when you turn up at their doorstep. They always know.

My condolences go out to the families of those fallen commandos in Lahad Datu. There will be plenty of time and opportunity for politics to take its unhealthy hold on this matter during the campaign period of this election (and no doubt even I will participate) but for now, I would suggest a moment of reflection. The situation in Sabah is a question of chickens coming home to roost, but this is an issue for another article. Indeed, a gathering storm looms on the Eastern sea board of Sabah.

However, partisan politics is a never-ending war and the armed forces has unfortunately been dragged in this mess. The recent statement by Defence Ministry secretary-general Ismail Samad on the "serious concern" of the unauthorised use of military ranks by retired armed forces personnel without the approval the Armed Forces Council deserves a response.

For good measure, Ismail laces his admonishment with the threat of "appropriate actions" and "prohibited from doing so by the highest command in the MAF, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong". Included in the press statement of the ministry were the procedural details in which retired officers were allowed to use their ranks.

Now before I get into my own ideas and some others from retired service personnel as to why this matter has suddenly become a "serious concern", I would like to address a point made by the secretary-general.

Speaking to reporters, he said, ""If permitted by AFC, a retired officer could wear his rank while those who were dismissed from their services are not allowed to use their former ranks." This is a highly inappropriate statement coming from the Defence Ministry during these partisan times.

Overwhelmingly partisan

Of late, retired service personnel have not been reticent of either publicly voicing their support of the opposition or being critical of policy matters that they feel have been neglected or mishandled by the current Umno-led federal government.

The response from the military establishment has been overwhelming partisan. An example of this would be the Defence Forces chief and the three service chiefs lined up behind him accusing retired service personnel of being "treacherous" for raising concerns of the electoral process.

Another example would be the (now retired) Air Force chief who harangued service personnel to vote for the incumbent government and "not bite the hand that feeds them". He said this while in service.

In addition, let us not forget the ongoing controversy of the purchase of the Scorpene submarines and its operational capability that was justified with political Umno undertones by the current Navy chief, who saw fit to raise the specter of re-colonisation.

The military establishment has been silent when former personnel have taken it upon themselves to defend Umno honour that includes the special privileges of the Malays as when the disgraceful butt dancers launched their provocative attacks against Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga.

The fact that the mainstream media chose to highlight these provocations spinning it as some kind of patriotic gesture by former service personnel mirrors the partisan spin of the alternative media which did nothing to enhance the reputation of the armed forces.

On the flip side, we are witness to the new phenomenon of retired service personnel making stands and in some cases taking sides in controversial issues. Retired service personnel in letters to the mainstream media or if they are ignored to the alternative media are articulating the concerns of ordinary citizens.

Recently a former Army deputy chief (general), the former Air Force head of logistics (general), a former Navy head of support services (admiral) and a former general in the Kor Agama Angkatan Tentera (Kagat or Military Religious Corps) declared their support for Pakatan Rakyat at a press conference that was promoted in the propaganda organs of the alternative front but received scant coverage in mainstream Umno-BN mouthpieces.

With reference to the general of the Kagat, I understand that he is well-liked by the other ranks and was as popular as the late Ustaz Haji Saad, who was a ‘nazir agama' (akin to a regiment chaplain) of the Armed Forces, who happened to be a close confidant.

Now I and many other retired service personnel understand why this would be of serious concern to the Defence Ministry. The appearance of high-ranking former military officials endorsing Pakatan is potent propaganda for an alternative front routinely demonised by every branch of the government.

Soldiers have family and friends and although there is an ongoing controversy of military votes, sympathetic sentiments for the opposition could dilute whatever vote bank the current regime feels is the armed forces.

Unacceptable rhetoric

Whatever your opinion on the participation of retired service personnel in the arena of politics, Ismail's insinuation that there is a wave of retired armed forces personnel who use their ranks without approval without naming names is unacceptable rhetoric because its aim is to damage the credibility of those retired service personnel who voice their opinions against the establishment.

To imply that there are those using their ranks who were "dismissed from service", especially in these partisan times without citing examples, is disrespectful not to mention dishonourable to those of us who served our country and believe that our ranks carries with it a certain responsibility that does not end merely because we leave the service.

Readers may disagree with how retired service personnel choose to exercise these responsibilities and even the political allegiances of former armed forces servicemen but their credibility should only be questioned, especially when it comes to their ranks, with the most credible of evidence and certainly not in disingenuous manner of the Defence Ministry.

Are there retired armed forces personnel who were dismissed from service using their ranks? Most certainly and most retired service people will tell you this is mostly done for pecuniary advantage. The private and public sector is littered with men and women of "rank" who trawl through the system of patronage and rent-seeking to get their due.

And if these were the people the Defence Ministry was referring to, this should have been made clear in the press statement and the words of Ismail. On a personal note, the broad brush of the Defence Ministry too has tarred me.

Mixed in with queries of how this statement relates to my writing forMalaysiakini, I have received the usual hate email from DAP apparatchiks and Pakatan kool aid drinkers of how "Pakatan does not need toddy drinking bogus commanders" or similar invectives. I guess Umno-BN propaganda is useful even if you are an opposition supporter.

I suppose it will only get worse because in the works are articles about the Pakatan manifesto and race relations in this country post-2008 tsunami - the genesis of which was a conversation with a former senior officer in the Joint Intelligence Directorate.

However, Ismail's statement has given me the perfect opportunity to discuss in the next part of this article the concerns of Retired Armed Forces Officers (Rafoc) on the awarding of army rank (structures) to Rela (People's Volunteer Corps).

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S THAYAPARAN is Commander (rtd) - who has the permission of the AFC to use his rank - of the Royal Malaysian Navy.