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Jakarta. Despite strong reactions in Malaysia about the offensive nature of a recent protest at its embassy in Jakarta sparked by a recent border dispute, officials from both nations on Thursday tried to play down the strife.

While tensions have been raised between Indonesia and Malaysia since the border incident on Aug. 13, they hit a new high when feces were flung at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta and the Malaysian flag was also smeared with the refuse during a protest in front of the building on Monday.

According to media reports from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian activists and officials railed at the crude demonstration and demanding that Indonesian authorities take action against those involved.

But Widyarka Ryananta, social and cultural information counselor at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, told the Jakarta Globe that senior Malaysian officials were conscious that the perpetrators did not represent the nation.

He said the Malaysian government had made it clear that actions such as the rallies in front of its embassy in Jakarta were the work of a small minority.

“Action like throwing human feces, as conducted by the Bendera group, does not represent Indonesian society as a whole,” he said.

The People’s Democratic Defense (Bendera), is a fringe nationalist group with a long history of anti-Malaysia protests. Its members were largely responsible for the demonstration on Monday.

From Kuala Lumpur, The Star Online quoted Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman as saying that “small groups” such as Bendera should not be allowed to hold both nations ransom.

Three Bendera protesters were arrested during Monday’s rally but were released after less than 24 hours. National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Iskandar Hasan said that despite the offensive nature of their conduct, the protesters could not be charged for throwing feces.

“Everything should be based on legal procedures if we want to name someone a suspect and make an arrest,” he told reporters at his office on Thursday.

“If there is no article to charge them with, then we cannot charge them.”

Relations between Indonesia and Malaysia hit a new low after Aug. 13, when Indonesian maritime officers arrested seven Malaysian fishermen for allegedly trespassing into Indonesian waters, and three of the officers were subsequently arrested by Malaysian authorities.

While Indonesia maintains the officers were arrested in Indonesian waters, Malaysia says it occurred in a disputed area. Widyarka also denied reports that Malaysia had issued a travel warning to its citizens. 

“The [Malaysian] foreign minister only said he was going to monitor the situation in Indonesia,” Widyarka said.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said his office had not heard of the alleged travel warning.

“As far as I can remember, he [Anifah] did not say that,” he said. Officials from both countries are scheduled to meet in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah, early next month to repair relations.

“Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed that we are not going to prioritize emotions in handling this issue,” Widyarka said.