S'pore's complaint<\/p>\n
Give us back our days, screamed an editorial in The Straits
\nTimes in reaction to the smoke coming from the forest fires in
\nSumatra and Kalimantan. This is, indeed, an aggravating scream.
\nThe writer of this editorial should ask themselves, "Where was I
\nwhen the Singaporean tug boats were caught dumping poisonous
\nwaste into Indonesian seas? Where was I when the Indonesian
\nMangrove Foundation protested to Singapore for wrecking
\nBengkalis' mangrove forest by illegally trading teak wood for
\nsecond hand clothes? Surely I could have reacted the same?"<\/p>\n
In an meeting with the Singapore envoy recently, Mr. Sarwono
\nKusumaatmadja, our State Minister of Environment sounded too
\napologetic about the thick haze that had bothered the heck out of
\nSingaporeans. But, please, that kind of forest fire happens
\neverywhere, even in the developed countries like the USA. And we
\nwill not take the blame, let alone their sour comments. As if we
\nrobbed Singaporeans' days.<\/p>\n
In dealing with Singapore, it looks to me like we are always
\nin a "can't win" position. As disclosed in the "Your Letter"
\ncolumn on this paper of Oct. 17, 1994, Singapore has been helping
\nto destroy mangrove forests in Riau and getting away with it. A
\nfew years ago, it was disclosed that Singapore had illegally
\nbought sand from Bintan Island, leaving a huge hole behind and
\ndestroying the environment. And, there was no apology from their
\nend. Now, why should we feel so guilty about the haze?<\/p>\n
The arrogance of Singaporeans is probably due to the fact that
\nthey think we desperately need their investment and have to put
\nup with their "we are helping you" attitude. Take, for instance,
\nthe situation on Batam. This island has been claimed to be "The
\nSecond Singapore" since businessmen from that neighboring nation
\nhave invested their money there. They've come with capital,
\ntechnology and people.<\/p>\n
As an Indonesian, I am not very proud of what is going on at
\nBatam. The transformation has boosted the development of the
\nisland, but look at what it has done to the people there. The so-
\ncalled Singaporization has made them the second class people
\ncatering to the needs of the "visiting" nation. Things are run in
\nSingapore way. "No Smoking" signs are everywhere, even outside
\nthe Cineplex 21. Local brewed beer is not popular since the
\nvisitors refuse to drink any kind of beer except "Tiger".<\/p>\n
Price lists in most hotels and restaurants are in Singapore
\ndollars, as if Rupiah was a foreign currency. If you shop in a
\nbig store and ask the price in rupiah, you have to wait until the
\nstaff figure out the conversion. And wait until you enter a
\nseafood restaurant or a bar and see how the waiters ignore you
\njust because you are not a Singaporean.<\/p>\n
My friend and I were caught in a very embarrassing situation
\none evening in an restaurant. The manager tried to kick us out
\nfor refusing to stop smoking. Not that the restaurant was a "No
\nSmoking" one. We had dined and smoked in this open-air restaurant
\nbefore. But on that particular evening, there were a bunch of
\nSingaporeans having dinner and they complained about our smoking.
\nFor the sake of friendship, we would have stubbed out our
\ncigarettes immediately if we had been politely asked to stop
\nendangering their precious lungs.<\/p>\n
It is true that they're the biggest foreign investors in
\nIndonesia, as disclosed by our Ambassador for Singapore (Kompas,
\nOct. 20, 1994). But Mr. Tomiyasa Nakamura, the General Director
\nof the Japan External Trade Organization, says investment in
\nBatam is a "billiards business" (Indonesia Business weekly
\nMagazine No 6, 1994). Japan puts its money in Singapore and
\nSingapore dumps it on Batam.<\/p>\n
CARL CHAIRUL<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/spores-complaint-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }