Soeharto, 'Father of ASEAN'

Soeharto, 'Father of ASEAN'

JAKARTA (JP): Singapore Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar lauded
Indonesia's President Soeharto as "Father of ASEAN" for his
unwavering commitment to the organization for the past three
decades.

"More than any other leader in this region, President
Soeharto deserves the title of 'Bapak ASEAN' which has been
conferred upon him by thoughtful observers of the growth and
success of ASEAN," Jayakumar said yesterday in his opening
address at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.

Soeharto, 75, is the longest-surviving leader among the ASEAN
heads of government and has seen the organization from its
inception 29 years ago.

"His personal commitment to the creation and development of a
strong regional organization, ever since the birth of ASEAN, is a
key reason why we are here today to once again celebrate the
continuing success of our organization," Jayakumar remarked.

The Singaporean foreign minister, accompanied by other ASEAN
counterparts, met with Soeharto at the State Palace earlier
yesterday morning as part of the opening ceremony to the
association's 29th ministerial meeting.

Apart from exalting Soeharto's role in ASEAN, Jayakumar also
used phrases in the Indonesian language which he considered best
described the meanings.

"ASEAN has developed a flexible modus operandi, best
characterized as a culture of seeking consensus encapsulated in
the Indonesian words musyawarah and mufakat," Jayakumar said.

Musyawarah mufakat is the Indonesian term for deliberation for
consensus. (mds)