'Parti yeye' continues to plague armed forces
Parties in military bases allegedly involving soldiers and escorts from outside the camp, called “parti yeye” (pronounced yeay yeay), have continued to plague the armed forces despite a ban since 1998.
Sources, however, said that the ban and the formation of the Armed Forces Islamic Services Corp (Kagat) in 1985 have made such activities, which were once common occurrences, an exception rather than the norm.
When they do happen...
Parties in military bases allegedly involving soldiers and escorts from outside the camp, called “parti yeye” (pronounced yeay yeay), have continued to plague the armed forces despite a ban since 1998.
Sources, however, said that the ban and the formation of the Armed Forces Islamic Services Corp (Kagat) in 1985 have made such activities, which were once common occurrences, an exception rather than the norm.
When they do happen these days, it is usually because a camp’s commanding officer turned a blind eye to them, one source said.
However, the source said it can be difficult for Kagat to act against such activities when high-ranking officers are involved.
While Kagat can summon military personnel or officers involved in immoral activities, write a report, and recommend disciplinary action, only the camp’s commanding officer (CO) or generals can decide on punishment.
“But sometimes, it’s the CO or ‘panglima’ (general) who arranges (the parties),” said another source.
“However, the situation is much better now. Today, many of the panglima are religious,” the source added.
Ministry probing parties with alcohol, women
Allegations that “parti yeye” were still being held in officers’ mess halls surfaced over the weekend on social media, with some users publishing pictures of such events and urging the authorities to investigate.
Some netizens also claimed that low-ranking officers were forced to provide alcoholic drinks and women from outside the camps for their superiors.
This prompted the Defence Ministry to order an investigation into these allegations.
“Should the allegation be found to be true, strict action will be taken against those involved according to the existing rules and laws,” the ministry said in a statement.
‘Almost impossible’ for CO to be ignorant
Retired army brigadier general Arshad Raji said such events could only take place with the knowledge and consent of COs.
“If you ask me, I blame the leader. This only happens if the leader is being indifferent (to such activities),” said Arshad, who is the former president of veterans’ group Patriot.
“The leader of the unit must be held accountable. For all we know, maybe they are also involved, because it is impossible for them not to know what’s happening in their unit.
“As a CO, you must know everything. If a CO doesn’t know, then the CO must be stupid. So, the CO must be hauled up first,” he said in a phone interview.
The armed forces should hold commanding officers accountable if wild parties are discovered at military camps under their command, he added.
Arshad, who retired in 1998 after 32 years of service, admitted that get-togethers happened during his time, but they involved officers and their families to strengthen the bond between service members.
“It’s not wrong to hold parties inside officers’ mess halls, but you need to do it the right and respectful way.
“What happened here (as alleged in viral claims) is not right. Do not turn officers’ mess halls into a whore house,” Arshad said.
