Easing tension

Easing tension

Tension has built up very fast between Indonesia and Malaysia.
People's Consultative Assembly speaker Amien Rais criticized
Malaysia for caning undocumented Indonesian workers. Malaysia's
foreign minister Syeh Hamid Albar responded with no less
acrimony. Then, police in Medan arrested 19 Malaysians tourists
and a number of protesters demonstrated in front of Malaysia's
embassy in Jakarta and tore down the front gates of the embassy
compound.

This is the most tension between Indonesia and Malaysia since
Konfrontasi, or Confrontation, during president Sukarno's
administration. This tension is actually unnecessary as the two
countries have been making diplomatic efforts to be able to see
eye to eye on this matter. Malaysia, for example, is ready to
accept some documented Indonesian workers. Coordinating Minister
for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said the agreement would be
signed in September this year.

In fact, the tension stems from Malaysia's plan to severely
punish Indonesians and non-Indonesians violating its manpower
regulations.

Indonesia must respect Malaysia's laws. Different countries
have different laws. It would be better for the government to
protest the inhuman treatment of legal Indonesian females working
in the Middle East.

-- Koran Tempo