Foreign Ministry urges restraint between nations

The Foreign Ministry has asked that the public not overreact to any allegations of slander from Malaysia, as new reports emerge of an online song parodying the national anthem of Indonesia.

Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the government could not afford to make hasty decision that could backfire in the future, as old tensions between Indonesia and Malaysia could be rekindled.

“We have to examine the facts behind the allegations before taking any action,” he said Friday.

Indonesia recently accused Malaysia of stealing the Pendet dance — a traditional routine from Bali — and using it in a tourism commercial, causing widespread anger. That allegation was later found to be com-pletely baseless, with the apparent “tourism” ad being nothing more than a promotional clip for a series of documentaries on Malaysia being screened on the Discovery Channel.

The Malaysian tourism ministry also never claimed the Pendet dance was Malaysian, despite the fact the Indonesian government sent a note of protest to the Malaysian government accusing it of just that. Malaysia sent a letter expressing ‘regret’ that Indonesia had overreacted to the issue.

Media reports have also emerged suggesting that a parody of the Indonesian national anthem, “Indonesia Raya”, has been placed online to further fuel the fire between the two bickering countries.

Faizasyah said the Ministry of Communication and Informatics had been told to block the website featuring the song. He also urged Indonesians to differentiate between the  actions of a small number of people and the Malaysian government to avoid misunderstandings that could affect bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries.