Goh Chok Tong's visit

By various accounts, the two-day visit of Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to Indonesia was a productive one. He managed to meet not only with President Megawati Soekarnoputri, various senior government officials and People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais, but also had a lively discussion with a group of Indonesians of various backgrounds who did not hesitate to convey to the prime minister their candid views on a variety of domestic and regional issues.

As Prime Minister Goh stated, the main purpose of this visit was to discuss two main issues, namely coordinating the steps that are to be taken in order to eradicate the threat of terrorism in this region and, second, Indonesia's economic problems and the assistance that Singapore could render to help its large neighbor.

On the first issue it could be said that after Oct.12 a heightened awareness has been noticeable in Indonesia of the threat of terrorism. Singapore's prime minister restrained himself from adopting an I-told-you-so attitude since his government, at various times, had warned Indonesia on the danger of terrorism that was affecting the entire region and offered its intelligence resources. Obviously, after Bali there is even more reason to coordinate cooperation between the two countries in their antiterrorist efforts.

For Singapore, of course, this is a matter of survival since the island-state with its four million population is highly dependent on its service industry, which generates the greater part of its gross domestic product (GDP). It is of course of the utmost importance for a modern economy, basically consisting of sophisticated service companies, to be able to operate in a safe and peaceful working environment. Singapore's willingness to assist Indonesia in overcoming its economic problems is not only prompted by philanthropic considerations. It is in Singapore's own interest to see to it that Indonesian can maintain a sustainable high level of economic growth -- high enough to absorb the net job seekers in the labor market.

Obviously, the current projection of a 3.5 percent to 4 percent growth, mainly propelled by consumer demand, is not good enough. Increasingly, Singapore is becoming an important player in the Indonesian economy, as can be seen from the fact that Singapore Technologies Telemedia (STT) was the winning bidder for the government's 41.9 percent stake in state-owned telecommunications firm PT Indosat. A politically stable Indonesia with a sustainable high-level economic growth would of course be beneficial for the Indonesian people. However, it would also be good for Singapore, which requires a conducive geopolitical environment to maintain its global-oriented modern economy.

Some Cabinet ministers in Jakarta have complained that adequate time was not allocated to discuss a number of problems affecting bilateral relations. As we understand it, the Indonesian foreign ministry, in a meeting of senior officials with their Singaporean counterparts in Bali a few weeks ago, submitted a list of 12 ongoing problems that need to be discussed in the pursuit of solutions that are satisfactory to both parties. Singapore's prime minister would most probably say that his visit this time was not meant to discuss bilateral problems, although it can be said that on the issue of extradition some progress is being made. As for the issue of what Jakarta refers to as sand smuggling for the purpose of expanding Singapore land territory, it could be said that this is mainly an internal Indonesian problem as it involves competition among a number of Indonesian companies.

In the meantime, even though the purpose of Prime Minister Goh this time was not to discuss bilateral relations but to tackle the two main issues aforementioned, it would be most helpful if he, as head of government, could state that Singapore is willing to discuss any problems that might burden bilateral relations between the two neighbors. Such a statement would eradicate the perception held by quite a number of Indonesian, sometimes with important public responsibilities, that Singapore is a hard bargainer who cares only about its own interests.

In the current regional situation in Southeast Asia of closely interconnected relationships, it is indeed an essential requirement that the countries of the region strengthen their bond of mutual help and cooperation in their efforts to solve common problems. Viewed in this context, Prime Minister Goh's visit to Jakarta has been most useful in advancing the climate of mutual understanding, all the more so given his pleasant personality, his open attitude and his willingness to listen, further enhanced by his healthy sense of humor.