RI-Singapore bilateral ties

A two-day closed-door conference will be organized over the weekend in Jakarta to discuss the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Singapore. The event is being jointly organized by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and the Jakarta- based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. The importance of holding this weekend's event at the present time is aptly summarized by the theme of the public seminar that takes place today: "Singapore, Indonesia, and the New Global and Regional Environment."

It is a truism to state that Indonesia, since the downfall of President Soeharto's regime in mid-1998 is going through vast changes that are still on. Although politically conscious Indonesians are aware that the ultimate goal of these changes under the heading of "Reformasi" is to establish a democratic, just, prosperous and united Indonesia, most are not so sure about how to get there. As a matter of fact, there is serious concern that Indonesia could plunge into pitfalls that in the end could constitute not only a setback for the Indonesian nation, but could well affect the stability and the future of the whole Southeast Asian region.

What makes this weekend's encounter all the more interesting is that Singapore, which for years has been considered the region's hub of modernity and anchor of stability, is apparently also going through a process of transformation. Singapore, with a total population of roughly 3.2 million, has the most vibrant economy in the region with its services sector contributing to a total of 64.1 percent of GDP, which last year totaled US$84.9 billion, or US$26,360 per capita. A truly astonishing amount, considering that Indonesia, with a population of more than 200 million, has a per capita income of less than US$1,000.

However, whereas we in Indonesia are accustomed to living with change and are forever mindful of the axiom "always expect the unexpected", apparently for Singaporeans, the current economic crisis constitutes a psychologically traumatic experience. It is indeed a shocking experience to find, after a 10 percent economic growth in the year 2000, that the economy had shrunk by 2.2 percent last year, a phenomenon described by the Hong Kong-based Far Eastern Economic Review magazine as "the biggest decline in the city's post-independence history." But while most probably believe it will be relatively easy for Singapore to implement the necessary measures for economic recovery due to the manageable format of its society, in the case of Indonesia, for President Megawati's government the exercise could be like walking through an uncharted minefield. Even so, looking at the past four years, Indonesia has shown its resilience. Despite the vagaries of Presidents B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid, there is still a united Indonesia, albeit with an economy that is at best muddling through.

The most interesting question that we suggest the participants in this weekend's bilateral conference should provide upon is how the two countries, both of which are currently going through a process of reform, can consciously, and in a planned manner help each other. This question, seemingly, is a logically implied statement. To be honest, however, decades after the historic official visit of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to Jakarta in early 1973 (with a side-trip to North Sumatra), there is still that lingering attitude among Indonesians that tends to view Singapore hardly as an independent and respectable state and nation.

Many middle-class Indonesians are enjoying Singapore's modern facilities, especially its convenient shopping centers, its efficient banking system and its modern medical facilities. However, those who still remember Presidents Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid's derogatory remarks about Singapore should, in all honesty, admit that there are still many among us who share those views. A stable and sturdy bilateral relationship requires first and foremost that we, Indonesians, learn to respect Singapore for all its achievements. On the other hand, Singapore, in its effort to recover from its economic crisis, should perhaps consider thoroughly changing the mind-set of Singaporeans and acknowledge that they are truly part of the Southeast Asian region with Indonesia as its large neighbor. It strikes us, for instance, that in the community centers in Singapore there is hardly any map depicting the region showing the populations of the 10 ASEAN member countries in proportion.

We suggest this simple fact, not in order to instill an inferiority complex among Singaporeans. On the contrary, perhaps a sense of solidarity with its neighbors could be developed with a sense of mission to share Singapore's modernity and capability to organize, especially with Indonesia, which is struggling to overcome its myriad problems. This mind-set would eventually have an impact in restructuring Singapore's economy so that it will be less affected by the economic fluctuations that occur in the West or in Japan.

All in all, the Singapore-Indonesia bilateral conference over the weekend should be able to come up with ideas in order that we in this Southeast Asian region can together find ways to overcome the uncertainties of the fluid global environment.