Indonesia risks chasing away foreign investors<\/p>\n
V.K. Chin, The Star, Asia News Network\/Selangor, Malaysia<\/p>\n
The continued defiance of the South Sulawesi police to detain
\ntwo Malaysian accountants even though they had been freed by the
\ncourt, will only create more problems for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It will be another blot on the way things are conducted in the
\nrepublic and it will further frighten away foreign investors who
\nalready have enough misgivings over corruption and red tape.<\/p>\n
It is not that Malaysia wants the two accountants, Choo Yao
\nChin and Raimala Sivalingam, to be given any special treatment
\nand if they should be suspected of committing any immigration
\noffense, they should at least be allowed bail.<\/p>\n
Instead, Choo and his colleague, both employees of
\ninternational accounting firm KPMG, were refused bail and the
\nformer was being locked up together with hardened criminals.<\/p>\n
Nobody is saying that the police there are not doing what is
\nwithin their rights but it is just not proper for a person
\nsupposedly held for a visa offense to be placed together with
\ncriminals and other undesirable elements.<\/p>\n
It is quite clear that something unusual is going on there and
\nthat the two Malaysians have most probably been detained to teach
\nthem or their employers a lesson for whatever reasons.<\/p>\n
Both of them could be released on bail and they can remain in
\nIndonesia until their case is up for hearing. Since an earlier
\ncourt had already cleared them of any wrongdoing, they should be
\nfreed even if they should be brought to court again.<\/p>\n
The police chief there knew the circumstances but he is
\nprepared to go through the whole charade for reasons known only
\nto himself and other involved parties in the district.<\/p>\n
There is little or nothing that the company can do to
\ncompensate them for the ordeal they have gone through especially
\nChoo. Unfortunately, this show of defiance may backfire badly on
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Its leaders can introduce all the necessary legislation to
\nattract foreign investment or to make all sorts of promises to
\nwin over overseas investors but the publicity given to the latest
\nincident will surely turn the clock back.<\/p>\n
If officials outside Jakarta should fail to follow the
\ninstructions and do as they like in dealing with foreign
\ninvestors and professionals, then foreign businessmen will just
\nforget about the republic for the time being and go elsewhere.<\/p>\n
This will be a serious blow to the Indonesian economy and to
\nthe Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration, which is trying so
\nhard to woo foreign investment to spur growth and to provide jobs
\nfor the tens of millions of unemployed Indonesians.<\/p>\n
While the Indonesian president is a much respected leader by
\nthe outside world, he appears to have a tough time fighting
\ncorruption and red tape, two major curses facing any government
\ntrying to gain investors' confidence.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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