PNG Ambassador Oaisa is no stranger to RI
By Prapti Widinugraheni
Ambassador Alan I. Oaisa recently presented his letter of credentials to President Soeharto as head of the Papua New Guinea mission in Indonesia. He agreed to this interview with The Jakarta Post to reflect on his views about his new position.
JAKARTA (JP): "Selamat pagi, silahkan duduk," (Good morning, please have a seat.) were the first words that came from Papua New Guinea Ambassador Alan I. Oaisa when The Jakarta Post reporter met him for this interview.
The precise Bahasa Indonesia came unexpectedly given that the ambassador has barely been in the country one month.
Oaisa extended his letter of credentials to President Soeharto on June 18, making his new position as Papua New Guinea's ambassador to Indonesia, replacing Angoea J. Tadabe, official.
He had previously worked in Kuala Lumpur and has been with his country's foreign services for about 20 years.
Oaisa said he started his diplomatic career "by accident."
"After finishing university in 1972, I got a job with the department of defense," he said. At that time, Papua New Guinea, which gained its independence in 1975, was still under Australian rule.
Some Australian diplomats he met that year suggested he apply for a post as a Papua New Guinea diplomat. "So I put in my application and at the end of the week I was told I was accepted."
In 1974, Oaisa arrived in Jakarta, where he served as chancellor. He recalled how he helped establish the Australian embassy, which at that time was located on Jl. Thamrin.
It was during that time, Oaisa revealed, that he learned his Bahasa Indonesia.
It was also during his term here that he met his future wife, Catherine, originally from Irian Jaya.
Since then, Oaisa has worked in Canberra, and moved back and forth between Port Moresby, Britain, New Zealand and Malaysia, before returning to Jakarta.
Since he had studied Bahasa Indonesia seriously during his first stay here in 1974 -- he took a six-week crash course in Melbourne, a three-month course in Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University (where he lived with a family who spoke no English) and received much help from his Indonesian wife -- he was well prepared for the ambassadorial posting in Indonesia.
"I had always enjoyed my posting here," he said. "Indonesia was in a way special for me, and I have always wished I could come back here as an ambassador."
And now that he is back in Jakarta, Oaisa intends to focus on strengthening trade, investment and cultural ties between the two countries, especially since relations are "not like they were in the past."
"Some Indonesians don't know where Papua New Guinea is," he pointed out.
He acknowledged that since the two countries have almost no border control problems, such as illegal crossings, which still occurred until as recently as 1984, there have been opportunities to divert from discussing political affairs to developing economic relations.
Oaisa said that for island countries such as his, fisheries are among the most important economic considerations, and often the only natural resources, for supporting a nation's economy.
Fishing is also a favorite pastime of Oaisa, a father of two sons, Chris, 20 and Daniel, 9.
He also enjoys golf, rugby and cricket. Soccer "is only good for watching after five minutes," he said.
He admitted that although he has not yet found a good fishing location around Jakarta, he has already found a golf club, playing with other foreign diplomats of the Jakarta Ambassadors Golf Association.
Asked about his personal ambitions, the graduate of political science from Papua New Guinea University, said he has none.
"Well, maybe I do have (political ambitions), but the time is not right yet, because I enjoy doing what I am doing now. So when I stop enjoying this, maybe I'll go into politics, maybe do business. I don't know."
Oaisa is now starting his job in Jakarta, a city he has no complaints about as yet. "So far, so good" -- hopefully it will always be that way.