A visitor from Singapore<\/p>\n
Singapore's deputy prime minister and defense minister Tony
\nTan is paying an official visit to Indonesia. His counterpart,
\nDefense Minister Matori Abdul Jalil, will be his official host.
\nDuring his stay in Indonesia, Dr. Tan will meet with the
\npresident and vice president and a number of other senior
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
Minister Tony Tan's presence is the highest-level contact on
\nIndonesian soil that has taken place between Indonesia and
\nSingapore since President Megawati Soekarnoputri succeeded
\nAbdurrahman Wahid exactly a year ago. Since Tony Tan is a senior
\nmember in Singapore's cabinet, his visit offers a good
\nopportunity for the two sides to discuss not only matters of
\ndefense cooperation between the two countries, but the whole
\ncomplex of bilateral relations in the framework of the ASEAN
\nfamily of nations as well.<\/p>\n
During the weekend, a spokesperson for Singapore's defense
\nministry said that Dr. Tony Tan's visit underscored the close and
\nfriendly relations between the two countries. That should exactly
\nbe the theme in the number of conversations between the
\nIndonesian officials and our Singaporean guests, because in all
\nfairness it must be said that there is something wrong in the
\ncurrent relations between members of the ASEAN family of nations.<\/p>\n
To see Singaporean leaders assuring their people that the
\nwater supply crisis that has arisen because of disagreement with
\nMalaysia will be overcome, shows that the spirit of ASEAN
\nbrotherhood holds little meaning these days.<\/p>\n
We should not allow Singaporeans to feel as if they were being
\nbesieged with no friends around. Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew
\neven reminded his people that \"the country has been through much
\ntougher times in the 1960s and 1970s, when its very survival was
\nat stake.\" Although Indonesia is currently bending under a host
\nof problems, it is our duty as the largest and most populous
\ncountry within the ASEAN family to stretch out a hand of
\nfriendship to Singapore. After all, we refer to our homeland as
\ntanah air, our land and water.<\/p>\n
Surely, we could use Dr. Tony Tan's visit to further discuss
\nthe possibility of Indonesia supplying water to Singapore.
\nAlthough due to sophisticated technology Singapore could most
\nprobably be self-sufficient in supplying its water needs, a much
\nmore crucial point is at stake -- namely that Singapore should
\nnot feel alienated in the family of ASEAN nations since the rest
\nof the family are idly standing by while it is facing a serious
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's offer to supply water to Singapore is certainly
\nnot meant to slight Malaysia because of that country's tough
\nstance in expelling what it refers to as illegal Indonesian
\nworkers.(And then reversing that decision after Malaysian
\nconstruction companies complained because many of them were
\nrendered stagnant as a consequence of it.)<\/p>\n
We should offer Singapore a helping hand because the very
\nprinciple of ASEAN cooperation is exactly the moral obligation to
\nhelp each other in times of crisis.<\/p>\n
Therefore, it is important that Jakarta should make use of the
\npresent visit of Singapore's deputy prime minister, Dr. Tony Tan,
\nto review all aspects of our bilateral relations and to come up
\nwith joint initiatives in order to improve the weakening sense of
\nmutual cooperation between the members of ASEAN.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-visitor-from-singapore-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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