Letter: Malaysian-Indonesian issues

Mon, 11/02/2009 2:02 PM  |  Reader's Forum

I would like to comment on the recent death of the Indonesian worker allegedly killed by her employer.

There should not be any doubt that those who were responsible for the abuse and subsequent death of Mantik, an Indonesian worker in Malaysia, will be brought to justice. Of course, discussions between Najib and SBY should cover a wider area relating to the relationship between the countries.

Of late, the Indonesian media and certain sections of Indonesian society have launched a hate Malaysia campaign calculated to destroy all the good work of repairing the relationship between the two countries, which was damaged by Indonesia's Confrontation. It would appear there are forces within or without Indonesia who are determined to see the two countries drift apart.

I suggest that the two leaders:

Identify the dark forces behind the campaign against Malaysia. Are Indonesian politicians and agencies involved? Surely, Indonesian intelligence has the details.

Agree on the transfer of Indonesian convicts in Malaysian jails to Indonesian prisons to serve out their terms, as there are far too many of them here.

Decide on stricter controls by Indonesian authorities to completely stop the flow of illegal migrant workers to Malaysia (rather than expending efforts to stop Sri Lankan refugees from sailing to Australia)

Decide urgently on the maritime boundaries in Ambalat through bilateral negotiation, international arbitration or through the international courts. In the meantime, it is best that the Indonesian media, including Ilyas who interviewed Najib recently, be familiar with the provisions of the Convention on the Law of the Sea. It's doubtful that Bendera can provide wise counsel on this intricate subject.

Ariff
Setiawangsa, Malaysia

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