The summit of Mega and Goh

The summit of Mega and Goh

Kornelius Purba, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta,
korpur@yahoo.com

When Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong meets with
President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the Bogor Presidential Palace
on Monday, he just might say to the Muslim President, "Selamat
Idul Fitri" (Happy Idul Fitri). And, according to the tradition
of people seeking forgiveness from one another during Idul Fitri,
the President will reply, "Mohon maaf lahir dan batin" (Please
forgive me for any wrongdoings in thought and in deed).

As a good hostess (Megawati has been praised by many people as
being much warmer than her three predecessors in receiving people
during the Idul Fitri open house), she will, of course, not only
offer ketupat (steam rice cakes) and opor ayam (chicken rice)
to her guest.

She has already shown the Prime Minister the greatest act of
kindness she can, by prompting her government to act on
Singapore's long-standing complaint that Indonesia is not doing
enough to combat the terror threat in the country. The Indonesian
government has shown concrete progress in cracking down on
terrorists, including acknowledging that Jamaah Islamiyah very
likely exists here, as insisted on by neighboring countries.

And it won't be mere lip service if the Prime Minister praises
the President for the signing of last week's peace accord with
the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). We hope his encouragement will make
Megawati more willing to be more open and receptive to the
demands and desires of the Acehnese when she visits the province
on Tuesday.

May the spirit of the Idul Fitri celebration, including the
willingness to forgive each other, inspire Goh and Megawati to
open a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries.

However, unlike the tradition of ordinary people, who
instantly forgive each other without any explanations offered or
received, the two leaders are expected to do more.

For the betterment of relations between the giant Indonesia
and Singapore, one of the most prosperous countries in the world,
Goh and Megawati need to hash out all the hard feelings that have
built up between the countries. They need to discuss their
problems and their expectations.

The two should set aside the past, while still remembering
their past mistakes so they do not repeat them in the future. To
open a new chapter in the relationship between the two leaders
and their countries, they need to have a heart-to-heart
discussion.

That is why the Prime Minister's two-day visit has been
arranged as a working tour, in order to avoid rigid protocols.
This, hopefully, will enable the two leaders to talk straight
rather than glossing over matters with the usual diplomatic talk.

From the Indonesian side there is a long litany of complaints,
from global issues to the behavior of its rich neighbor who seems
indifferent to the suffering of the poor just at its doorstep.

The new U.S. policy requiring all exports to the superpower to
be checked in advance at preapproved ports, including the port in
Singapore, is also annoying. It is believed here that Indonesian
exports to U.S. must first be sent to Singapore, which would mean
more costs. It is also feared that the signing of a Free Trade
Agreement by Singapore and the U.S. will damage Indonesian
exports, because it will be cheaper for the U.S. to buy
Indonesian products from Singaporean exporters.

It may also be necessary to convey a message to the sharp-
tongued Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew to refrain from insulting
other countries.

And how about Singapore's grievances with Indonesia? The Prime
Minister may find it difficult to repeat his long-standing
complaints, which are also the sentiments of numerous other
countries: poor law enforcement, rampant corruption, bad
security, poor governance, an increase in the threat from Islamic
extremists, etc. It is all repetition, and Megawati has heard
much worse from other foreign leaders. But all the same, Goh
continuously has to remind Megawati of these problems.

Just a reminder: Indonesians usually also expect a nice
oleh-oleh (gift) from visiting guests. What kind of gift can we
expect from the visiting Prime Minister? Of course he is not
expected to bring with him new loans, or new advice on how to
revive Indonesia's economy.

The two countries need each other. As neighbors, they cannot
be separated.

After all, Singaporeans should have no doubt about Indonesia's
love and affection for their tiny but prosperous neighbor.
Megawati regularly has medical check-ups at Mt. Elizabeth
Hospital in Singapore, even before she became President. She
loves to go shopping in Singapore, and uses every opportunity to
make a brief stopover on the island when returning from an
overseas trip.

Many Indonesians feel that the Prime Minister doesn't quite
like their country as much as Megawati likes his. No doubt Goh
admires the people and respects their political choice. But maybe
he just doesn't have an emotional attachment to Indonesia.

Singaporeans are often portrayed as rational and business-
oriented, lacking in heart and sympathy for their less well-off
friends. Surely, that can't be the whole truth. How do real
Singaporeans feel about Indonesia?

"There is a strong affection for Indonesia, but only when we
have a mistress in Batam," a Singaporean friend once joked.

Let's hope the feelings run deeper than that.