•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

When a nation’s sense of pride and self-respect gets trampled, emotions can run high. That has been evident this week as the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta has attracted protests by various groups.

While we can empathize with the emotions of those who feel the nation’s pride has been hurt by the treatment of Indonesians in Malaysia, we do not condone the actions of groups who have thrown feces at the embassy.

This only casts Indonesia in a bad light and hurts the nation’s reputation.

There is no denying, however, that both sides need to sit down together and resolve the issues that have given rise to heightened tensions.

Talks are planned for Sept. 6, and they can’t come soon enough; the sooner diplomats from both sides talk, the better.

The fact that both governments have realized the mutual problems — disputed border areas and the ill-treatment of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia — is a good first step.

Both governments must now find a mature way of resolving these issues using diplomatic channels.

Both nations share a heritage which gives prominence to deliberations as a means of defusing conflicts and solving problems.

In this regard, we applaud Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa’s rejection of calls by some parliamentarians to recall the ambassador from Kuala Lumpur. Such a step would no doubt be tantamount to throwing fuel onto a fire.

For the Sept. 6 talks to be fruitful and meaningful, Indonesia needs to show more engagement with the issues at hand, and must present clear lines of argument.

We must make our stance crystal clear and have solid legal backing, especially on the border disputes. Resolving this dispute will require both political will and understanding.

For its part, Malaysia must show more respect to Indonesia, especially in the treatment of migrant workers. We cannot help but feel that in Malaysian eyes, all Indonesians are viewed as maids and plantation workers.

Some lawmakers are saying that the current passionate protests against Malaysia stem not only from the recent arrests of three Indonesian maritime officers.

Rather, they say the incident might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back, unleashing accumulated resentment against Malaysia resulting from various incidents in the past.

Kuala Lumpur must show a greater commitment to prosecuting employers who mistreat Indonesian workers — especially domestic maids — and must recognize the economic contribution these workers make to their economy.

The media on both sides must also avoid getting caught up in the emotions. The news that Malaysia had slapped a travel warning on Indonesia, for example, proved false when both countries denied it.

It is important that both countries take a step back and review the situation calmly and resolve the problems amicably.