Ambassador Taha feels like part of a large Indonesian family

Lilian Budianto and Veeramalla Anjaiah ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 08/27/2008 10:30 AM  |  World

For more than two months, there have been many lunches, dinners and diplomatic receptions to bid farewell to the very active and popular Egyptian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mohamed El-Sayed Taha, who is leaving Jakarta this week.

Ambassador Taha's popularity extends beyond diplomatic circles to Indonesia's Indian community which hosted a farewell party in his honor recently.

During his wonderful four-year stay in Indonesia, Taha, a close friend of Indonesia, never felt as if he was a foreigner in a foreign land.

"Living in Indonesia is like being at home because we have common values. I feel like I am part of a big Indonesian family," Taha told The Jakarta Post in an exclusive interview at his office recently.

When asked about his time in Indonesia, he said he has had both good and bad experiences.

"I came to Indonesia in September 2004 just prior to the tsunami which hit Aceh and Nias, but I think Indonesian people are strong enough to overcome the negative impacts of disaster," he said.

Taha also witnessed the smooth transfer of power from then president Megawati Soekarnoputri to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

He also is an admirer of Indonesian democracy.

"When I first met Megawati, I told her I was very interested in understanding more about Indonesia's democracy. She said what we could learn is that Islam and democracy are compatible. They can coexist," Taha said.

There is a perception in some circles that Islam does not accommodate democracy.

"Indonesia is a good example. I appreciate the democratic reforms in Indonesia and am disappointed I will miss the coming election," Taha said.

What makes Taha popular in Indonesia?

First, he is a professional diplomat. Second, he has a pleasant personality through which he has made friends with officials, business people, scholars, religious figures, journalists and artists.

Taha decided that in order to strengthen bilateral relations there should be a regular platform to discuss bilateral matters.

"We succeeded in reviving the joint commission, which hadn't convened since 1994. It was a new development in our relations, and our last meeting was held in 2007."

Another major focus was trade and investment.

There was an unprecedented growth in bilateral trade between Egypt and Indonesia.

Last year's trade surged to US$638.89 million, over three times that of 2003, which was US$201.12 million.

"Yes, trade has tripled since 2003; we've set a target of $1 billion by 2010."

But he is not happy with the trend in the trade, which favors his host country.

Indonesia exported $589.55 million worth of goods -- primarily palm oil, rubber, wood and furniture -- to Egypt last year while it imports were just $49.34 million -- mainly fertilizers, cotton, fruits and dates.

But Taha has convinced Indonesian investors to invest in Egypt, which was by the way -- the first country in the world to recognize Indonesia's independence.

"We have managed to attract some investors from the private sector, such as PT Indorama, Indo-Bharat Rayon and the Kedaung Group which invest in chemical and textile industries."

Collaboration in education was his favorite agenda.

"Bilateral cooperation in education has increased remarkably. Every year Al-Azhar University offers 115 scholarships to Indonesian students," he said.

In addition, the Egyptian government also has been offering dozens of scholarships.

"Recently we finalized a draft memorandum of understanding with Indonesia to increase the total number of scholarships to 204," Taha said.

According to Taha, there are about 5,000 Indonesian students studying in Egyptian universities.

As a keen observer, Taha, wherever he goes, always looks for opportunities and ideas to take back with him to Egypt.

He has focused on an aquatic plant called eceng gondok (water hyacinth). This plant grows in lakes and rivers and can be used to make furniture in Indonesia.

"This plant is a continuous problem as it grows everywhere in the Nile River. We would like to learn from Indonesia how to transform eceng gondok into furniture," Taha said.

He has already submitted a proposal to his government in this regard.

"This is my unfinished business in Indonesia. I want this personal initiative to materialize and be useful for my country," Taha said.

He will be remembered as a good friend of Indonesia because during his period the dispute between Egypt and Indonesia over Indonesian tire products was settled peacefully.

"Indonesia is the leading supplier of tires worth US$70-$80 million per year. The issue was resolved between our governments, with Egypt dropping its 40 percent anti-dumping tax on Indonesian tires," Taha said.

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