President Abdurrahman lashes out at Singapore
President Abdurrahman lashes out at Singapore
By Budiman Murdiyat
SINGAPORE (JP): In a speech likely to cause a new controversy and increase tension in the region, President Abdurrahman Wahid launched here on Saturday a scathing verbal attack on Singapore, saying the country had done nothing but take advantage of Indonesia.
Speaking before members of the Indonesian community in Singapore, Abdurrahman said Jakarta had been "manipulated" by the island-nation.
The President, who was in Singapore to attend an informal summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Friday and Saturday, went on to mull the possibility of controlling the water supply to Singapore "to teach a lesson" to the island- nation.
The verbal attack came only a day after presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said Abdurrahman was unhappy with the summit's emphasis on economic competitiveness at the expense of "ASEAN solidarity".
Abdurrahman later said he was angry that the two-day informal summit was not placing sufficient emphasis on the least-developed ASEAN member countries.
He expressed his displeasure with the host country, which he accused of "seeming to be keen only on developing relations with China and other East Asian countries" during the summit.
"If (Singapore Prime Minister) Goh Chok Tong really wants to go his own way ... go ahead, it would not be a problem for us because we can also go our own way," Abdurrahman said.
The President added that he was also unsatisfied with his meeting earlier this week with one of his international advisers, Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The result of this displeasure, the President said, was Lee's rejection of his proposal to admit East Timor and Papua New Guinea into ASEAN because "the cost of letting those countries in would be too much to bear".
"It became clear from my meeting with Lee Kuan Yew that Singapore is only looking for profit," Abdurrahman said, adding that he might establish a new multilateral grouping with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Australia and New Zealand.
"Singapore might be unhappy with this move but I don't think that would be the case, because when they established a defense agreement with New Zealand and Australia and when they decided to open their port to refuel U.S. navy ships they didn't tell Indonesia or Malaysia anything," Abdurrahman said.
He went further, saying "Singaporeans basically like to underestimate Malay people".
"We are considered nonexistent, and even during my meeting with Lee Kuan Yew the other day he thought that I would be stepping down," Abdurrahman said, referring to the increasing calls in Jakarta for his resignation.
Abdurrahman said, however, that he did not blame the Singaporeans as Jakarta had been "too soft and dependent" on the country.
"Before, only (Malaysian) Prime Minister Mahathir (Mohamad) was brave enough to confront Singapore, but now ... Mahathir has a new friend," Abdurrahman said, implying that Jakarta would also be taking a tough stance with Singapore.
Abdurrahman added that during his breakfast meeting with Mahathir on Saturday, he had proposed that Indonesia and Malaysia jointly control the water supply to Singapore.
"Why don't we control the water supply to Singapore ... if we hold the water for a moment, they will have no water to drink.
"So we should not be afraid, or in other words our interests should come first before the interests of other people," Abdurrahman said.