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)