Both sides came out with a unifying show of mutual support, understanding and conciliation becoming of two feuding brothers.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s speech last week placed the ongoing feud in apposite context.

Indonesia and Malaysia are brothers, committed to building a community of Southeast Asian nations that can only benefit from cooperation not animosity.

The Kinabalu meeting was not about finger-pointing, or determining who was right or wrong. It was about a declared commitment to aim for the closest of amiable ties, which in turn would foster conditions conducive to negotiations to resolve overlapping claims between the two countries.

While it was somewhat unsatisfactory as far as the expectation of streamlining border talks and setting a clearer timetable for the dispute resolution, it did return diplomacy — the first and most potent arsenal in the nation’s defense — to the forefront, as the best means to settle the disputes.

We hope there is no more irresponsible talk of “wars” or “confrontation” in language dealing with Malaysia.

We support the stated intentions to quickly resume talks next month and hope the spirit of resolution will hasten what is effectively a very technical issue. In this case, as a nation, we should also stand behind Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa in his difficult task of spearheading these talks.

Talk of incompetence in the Foreign Ministry will only undermine the strength of our diplomacy.

Nevertheless, we also urge the government not to fall into the perennial trap of unnecessarily protracting negotiations for the simple sake of talking. The outpouring of nationalism at the height of a feud is a clear signal of expectation that these talks must produce positive results.

The Indonesian people will not tolerate a repeat of the “Sipadan-Ligitan” case that which saw the loss of sovereignty of these two islands to Malaysia, as decided by the International Court of Justice in 2002.

In many ways it should be perceived as constructive pressure on the government to demonstrate sovereignty over disputed or uninhabited islands, especially those situated at the outermost reaches of Indonesian territory, by implementing clear policy to display ownership and sovereignty.

Others are taking advantage of our neglect.

The recent episode should also be a warning to Malaysia not to act so recklessly as to infringe upon the
sensibilities of the Indonesian people. Malaysia cannot afford to put up a personal affront toward its biggest neighbor.

Indonesia will always seek a neighborly resolve with its friends at most costs. But once provoked it can become like an angry Garuda bird of prey.

Patience is a virtue, but patience also has its limits.

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