Megawati and Badawi agree to bolster ties between RI and KL

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi resorted to the personal touch to cement a strong relationship with his host, President Megawati Soekarnoputri, while the President herself stuck to rigid state protocol when receiving a courtesy call from her new colleague on Thursday.

Appearing relaxed during his meeting with the President at the State Palace, Badawi won Megawati's approval to avoid circumvent normal channels and instead use the telephone for consultation when bilateral problems arose that needed speedy solutions.

Citing the importance of strengthening communications between the two leaders, Badawi said he was ready to talk on the phone with Megawati whenever an urgent problem arose.

"We need to enhance our contacts. Should there be urgent issues, we can discuss them over the phone so that quick action can be taken to resolve the difficulties," Badawi said during a joint press conference with Megawati after their one-on-one discussions.

Megawati, who bid a tearful farewell to Badawi's predecessor Mahathir Mohamad in Bali last October, proved herself to be a warm host not only when she and her guest were discussing affairs of state, but also over a relaxed lunch.

However, she also still sticks to the rigid state protocol issued by then president Soeharto when receiving foreign leaders. Unlike her predecessor, Abdurrahman Wahid, who usually personally welcomed his guests at the airport, Megawati assigned her foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda to greet Badawi, who flew in on a Royal Malaysian Air Force plane to the Halim Perdanakusuma airport.

The Malaysian prime minister proved that he was serious about finding quick solutions to bilateral problems. The two leaders managed to make a breakthrough in the previously deadlocked negotiations on a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the recruitment of Indonesian migrant workers.

Badawi said the MoU would soon be signed by the two governments.

"We are now at the final stage of discussions on the new MoU on Indonesian migrant workers. This new deal will minimize potential problems in the future," the prime minister said.

The new deal will cover a number of technical issues such as recruitment arrangements, minimum wages and the welfare of the workers. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said the new deal would be signed during the first semester of this year.

Speaking in Malay, Badawi pointed out that he would meet Megawati again in Indonesia some time this year for the annual informal get-together between Malaysian and Indonesian leaders.

"This is to ensure that there are no postponements and that there is no possibility of the meeting not being held. If there is a fixed schedule, this will not happen," the prime minister said.

Megawati warmly welcomed his remarks, saying she was looking forward to their next meeting.

"We will discuss the border arrangements in Sarawak, joint patrols to deal with piracy in the Malacca strait, people trafficking, and arms and timber smuggling," Megawati said.

About one million Indonesians work in Malaysia, mostly in the construction and oil palm plantation sector. In 2002, Mahathir instituted draconian measures to reduce the number of illegal workers in the neighboring country. About 500,000 illegal Indonesian workers were deported from Malaysia at the time.

Meanwhile, according to Megawati, she and her counterpart agreed to step up collaboration in the oil and gas field, including collaboration between Malaysia's Petronas and Indonesia's Pertamina.

"We also reconfirmed our commitment to intensifying efforts to eliminate international terrorism," said the President.

Badawi left Jakarta on Thursday afternoon. He also plans to visit other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the near future as part of his introductory tour.