RI citizens in M'sia militia: Legislators

Nurni Sulaiman and Ridwan Max Sijabat ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Balikpapan/Jakarta   |  Fri, 02/15/2008 10:11 AM  |  Headlines

Indonesia and Malaysia may seem borderless to citizens living in far-reaching areas on the Borneo Island, but a new defense and security arrangement may see the lines drawn clearly.

The two countries' bilateral ties have been in the spotlight recently in connection to news that Malaysia has recruited Indonesian citizens to join the Askar Wathaniyah paramilitary force deployed to safeguard borders on the island.

The issue was raised by several legislators in a hearing between Army Chief Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo and the information, defense and foreign affairs commission at the House of Representatives in Jakarta recently.

Golkar Party legislator Happy Bone Zulkarnain said the commission obtained the information from the former commander of the Tanjungpura Military Command overseeing security in Kalimantan.

"We don't know how the recruitment is conducted but it is part of the crucial issues between the two countries in Kalimantan.

"Other issues include the shifting borderlines, human trafficking and illegal logging," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Effendi Choirie of the National Awakening Party (PKB) said Indonesia could not blame Malaysia in this case because it was very easy for Indonesian people to cross the border.

He said they could easily gain Malaysian citizenship to join the militia and could be driven to this because of poor economic conditions in Indonesia.

Bilateral ties between the two countries, he said, have been rocky in the past few years following the Ambalat issue and abuse cases involving Indonesian migrant workers.

Chief Commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI) Gen. Djoko Santoso said the information was not correct but he would have it checked.

Agustadi and his Malaysian counterpart Gen. Muhammad Ismail also denied the information after their meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Chief of the Tanjungpura Military Command Maj. Gen. Tono Suratman said there was no recruitment of Indonesian citizens for the Malaysian militia, but said several of their militiamen might be of Indonesian decent.

"It is not true that many Indonesian citizens have been recruited to be members of Askar Wathoniyah," Tono said.

"If they were Indonesian citizens in the past but are now permanent residents, then they are naturalized after living for five years here."

The government has recognized border issues for some time. It has planted pillars along the border and deployed thousands of soldiers from elite forces to protect the area.

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