Stepping up bilateral ties

Stepping up bilateral ties

The high priority that Malaysia gives to relations with our
ASEAN partners is reflected in the Prime Minister's visit to
Indonesia, the second leg of his ASEAN tour, the first being
Brunei Darussalam last month.

There are no long-standing problems that needed to be resolved
by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Jakarta, with the possible exception
of the issue of Indonesian migrants.

Which is why the Prime Minister and President Megawati
Soekarnoputri are determined to reach agreement on signing a
memorandum of understanding on the recruitment of Indonesian
workers as soon as possible. As long as Malaysia remains a source
of employment, Indonesians will continue to enter the country
looking for work, even if the Indonesian economy continues with
its recovery.

There is therefore a need to reach consensus on the terms of a
comprehensive bilateral arrangement that will effectively address
the problem of illegal workers and immigrants because it is clear
that despite the signing of the 1996 MOU and the 1998 Exchange of
Notes, the problem persists. The direct and personal line of
communication that has been opened between Abdullah and Megawati,
and their active interest in the matter, indicate that the
elusive solution which would satisfy both countries would soon be
found.

The Prime Minister's visit shows that despite the cordial
bilateral ties, the historical and cultural linkages, and the
strong economic recovery of both countries since the 1997
financial crisis, both Putrajaya and Jakarta are not content to
allow relations to remain within this comfort zone. Both
countries can be expected to continue to explore ways to enhance
two-way economic relations within the intra-regional ASEAN
mechanisms, as well as within the overlapping inter-regional and
international institutions.

Since there is a strong link between economics and security,
there is a need to step up bilateral co-operative efforts to
combat international terrorism and transnational organized crime,
such as piracy and arms trafficking, because these have emerged
as the major threats to regional stability and prosperity.

-- New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur