I refer to an article, "Malaysia and Indonesia: Friends or foes?" (The Jakarta Post, April 10), written by Sondang Sirait. I think your views on the Malaysian parable are too simplistic, if not naive of the actual paradigms of Malaysian thinking.
As a medical doctor who has had educational experience in the UK and the United States, I find it reprehensible that you can boil down the issues pertaining to the resentment felt by common people of both Malaysia and Indonesia to a few elementary antecedents without examining further the core of the issues, merely scraping at the surface of the matters at hand.
Regarding the issue of cultural copyrights for instance, a simple assertion that the song Rasa Sayang is a traditional Malay tune (where Malays are a significant majority in Malaysia), whose culture and history is interwoven with those in this region, including the people in Indonesia, more than exceeds the burden of proof that cultural copyrights have not been trampled on.
Having studied law at a postgraduate level, pursuing this matter legally in my opinion would be akin to a dog chasing its own tail. Very contrary indeed to the numerous Indonesian leaders and common people whom I have met who usually assert that we (Malaysians and Indonesians) are serumpun.
As with the other issues, more careful examination of the core issues should be made, not just fleetingly mentioned to expound a point or a tone. After all, some resentment felt here in Malaysia is due in part to the konfrontasi or Ganyang Malaysia movement (initiated by Indonesia) in our precocious history.
We in Malaysia have never had a diplomatic policy as aggressive or confrontational as such. We are a democracy, Ms Sirait, and democracy needs maturity and responsibility on the part of its citizens.
It is quite useless to have a democracy if the people have trouble grappling with its concept and adopt a free-for-all attitude voraciously. As a Western-educated journalist, Sirait, we Malaysians expect better than that from you.
I challenge you to examine the core issues of the day between the two countries based on empirical evidence and intelligent questioning, and write an opinion piece that is neither emotionally tinged (or charged) nor factually inaccurate.
Why, in regard to the relations that have been mended at the government level, has the notion yet to trickle down to the masses? Because change happens from the bottom up, and who is there to change perceptions and views? The Indonesian and Malaysian people.
AMRI DZULKAFLI
Kuala Lumpur
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Ketti (not verified) — Thu, 06/05/2008 - 1:25pm
I have opinion that Malaysia and Indonesia are not "serumpun". Why Malaysians are so sure called their people as "serumpun" as Indonesians. Culturally, Indonesia is richer than Malaysia. Malaysians' culture is similar only to one of Indonesia's biggest islands, Sumatera and may be part of Kalimantan island; but it is not similar to the whole culture of Indonesia's islands even not majority of that islands. We can say two nations are "similar culture or serumpun" if the two nations have the same and or similar culture in the big part of each the two people. In this case, Malaysia's culture is small part of Indonesia' culture. Malaysians' culture is poorer than Indonesians'cultures. The cultures of Indonesia include not only Sumatera and Kalimnatan but also Java, Sulawesi, Nusatenggara, Bali and other small islands. So, Malaysian people don't dream too much and dont too arogant!
Ferry Pasaribu (not verified) — Fri, 04/18/2008 - 10:39am
I don't want to put more oil onto the fire anymore, but allow me to put this matter into the perspective, Amri Dzulkafli. As a western-trained doctor, I believe you would understand my point clearly, a point of an Indon who was trained in Indonesia, a developing country, eventhough I am quite disturbed when you mention your perception towards democracy.
What actually has been happening between Indonesia and Malaysia is like a sibling rivalry. During the 1940-1980s, Indonesia was perceived by many in Malaysia as a country which inspired their strive towards Independence. The names of Soekarno, Mohammad Hatta, Natsir and others were admired by the founding fathers of Malaysia and did inspired them. On the other side, Indonesia at the time, except the adventurous foreign policy in Konfrontasi time, always threw its full support to the people of Malaysia.
For example, in the 1970s, Amri, we did send our best professors and teachers to Malaysia to help Malaysia built its education system, which eventually transformed as Malaysia has now. This help, naturally could also cause, in my opinion, an unnecessary feeling of being a younger brother vis a vis Indonesia had been harboured by many Malaysian for quite a long time. Actually Indonesia was very happy to be of such a help.
Unfortunately, after being hit and hampered by the crisis in 1997, Indonesia is having a very unfortunate time now. There are more poor people now than we used to have before, there are problems of haze, floods, there are problems of infrastructure now, and so on and so forth. All in all, Indonesia is of course not in a good shape compared to Malaysia. We are in a very bad shape now.
Referring to the past, when Indonesia was considered as one of the new tiger of Asia, it is hard to deny, that today is the high time of self actualization for any country that before were less greater than Indonesia to show up and tell Indonesia that they are better now. In my opinion this is the situation that has been developing in certain parts of Malaysian societies now. Maybe my dear brother Amri or any other Malaysians are strongly against what I am saying now, but I really feel this situation anytime I met a Malaysian here and abroad. Malaysia is now ahead of Indonesia, mostly in economics. So, why should it admire Indonesia anymore? This explains why the terms Indon, bangsa pembantu, the efforts to claim some of Indonesia cultural heritages belong to Malaysia, such as song of Rasa Sayange, Reog and others came into the surface.
Of course, as an Indon, a genuine Indon, locally-trained Indon, I feel very sad. Why these things could happen? After those harmonious time between Indonesia and Malaysia, why should these hurtful events happen? Amri, I tell you, we Indonesian now started to feel this. One of this indicator, if I might say, is the visits to the Petronas Gas Stations in Indonesia. You could tell Amri that unless that there was no other choice, I rarely saw Indonesians who wanted to top up their cars in Petronas. Rarely! Most of the Petronas Gas Stations are almost empty. This is only one example. Or, maybe you could check the statistic of Indonesian Tourists Visit to Malaysia, it is dropped significantly too. Are these what we are expecting?
From now on, let's revive our brotherhood again. if in the past Indonesia could extend its arms towards Malaysia and helped it wholeheartedly to develop, why not Malaysia does the same thing again now, towards your own brother, Indonesia. We do need your help, Malaysia. Not in financial sense, but in spirit of brotherhood, a brother who is having a problem.
An Indon. A genuine Indon.
Ferry Pasaribu
Judhi Hariwibowo — Thu, 04/17/2008 - 6:50pm
Pak Amri opinion was clearly imbalance to our nationhood. You've mentioned that we are serumpun. Please correct me if I am wrong. There is no justification that we are serumpun, because your people(malaysian) always call our people INDON, and treat our people like a dog. Is it what you mean by serumpun? It sounds insulting to me as human. By all means your nation always hide behind serumpun paradigm and toke our culture as part of Malaysians.
Better relation between Indonesia-Malaysia would be likely build by respecting both side culture and always remember that we are still neighbour. So please tell your people not to call our people INDON. It is just an idea to start making changes happen from bottom up. We are just human and we should respect each other.
Judhi Hariwibowo
Hamilton - New Zealand
Hercas (not verified) — Thu, 04/17/2008 - 3:41pm
I don't think that we are serumpun... So many diferences between us. Don't be so romantic.
Wicaksono (not verified) — Wed, 04/16/2008 - 9:04pm
The stereotype of Indonesians as perceived by the Malaysian is ; Indonesians are untrustworthy. There was never be a genuine sincerity when dealing with Malaysian(at least that was my personal experienced).
This perception perhaps has to be look back from the Majapahit era. Malaysian is still striving to find its own identity, particularly the Malayan. There seems no other choice than to look to its serumpun neighbor.
However, I must applaud the Malaysian for its ingenious manner in copying things to their own benefits (and vagued its originals).
We have helped you in correcting the demographic balanced for the Malay since the 80s and win the election by sending plantation labors, and what do we get but an abused of the Indonesian in Malaysia ?
The lack of respecting each others is maybe the core issue that we should examine, not democracy.
Edt (not verified) — Wed, 04/16/2008 - 3:47pm
This thing about Malaysia and Indonesia issue is getting silly.
For Indonesia... please, we are one of the largest nation on this planet yet we bothered about Rasa Sayange, or some dances that we claim as ours not theirs. Most of the so called Malaysians can traced back their ancestry to the region now called Indonesia or Nusantara, those songs and dances definitely are their heritage too, why don't we share it and be proud of our heritage together?
And for Malaysia please... Indonesian are not just ungrateful "pembantu or pendatang haram" just because some of our citizens are less fortunate than others, and that so called "konfrontasi" is so overrated now, you guys are richer and more educated than most of Indonesian (maybe).
Get over it and move on, why not? After all we are "serumpun", and time will prove that. Insya Allah.
Anak Indo
Sydney
