Protest rally in Singapore

Protest rally in Singapore

The appeal that former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
recently made in a statement, which was to the effect that
anybody with a sense of nationalism, and not just members of the
National Awakening Party (PKB), should stage a protest rally in
Singapore, was indeed sympathetic. While most of the country's
political elite are still buoyed by their sweet dream of having
rich Singapore as a neighboring country, Gus Dur's nationalism
awoke upon hearing Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew make a statement
that deeply wounded the dignity of Indonesians.

When Indonesia appointed Lee Kuan Yew as the country's
economics advisor, many people disagreed because Lee is known to
enjoy interfering in other countries' internal affairs. Although
Lee is said to be great in economics management, Indonesia's
economy remains in a mess as his advice has only been mere lip
service or insincere. When Gus Dur's administration was under
siege, Lee also launched his attack.

If Lee said he had evidence that Indonesia is a den of
terrorists, why does he brag about it in public and incite racial
hatred everywhere? Doesn't he know that Indonesia is still
vulnerable to ethnic and religious sentiments? There are clashes
not only between the Malays and Chinese, but also the Madurese
and Dayaks and the Ambonese and Bugisnese. This means that
without any provocation, conflicts can occur and spread anywhere,
including to Singapore, at any time. Lee would have shown greater
wisdom if he had used a more diplomatic path.

To ensure that Chinese Indonesians feel at peace when doing
business and that Singaporeans won't worry about their water
supply from Indonesia being cut off, Lee should apologize to
Indonesians before it is too late. Or before the PKB stages a
protest rally in Singapore and other demonstrations are staged in
the Senen shopping center to look for people of Chinese descent
doing business there.

SUKANTO

Jakarta