Stop Sweeping for Malaysians, Say Indonesian Lawmakers

Last updated at 9:20 PM. Thursday 18 March 2010

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Go to comments September 09, 2009

Markus Junianto Sihaloho

Stop Sweeping for Malaysians, Say Indonesian Lawmakers

Members of the House Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs called on the public on Wednesday not to engage in any activity that may hurt relations between Indonesia and Malaysia, warning that the neighboring country may do the same thing against Indonesian workers there.

“The so-called sweeping against Malaysian nationals, burning their flag and other [incidents] are unjustifiable under the law and will only harm relations between two dignified countries,” commission chairman Theo Sambuaga was quoted by state news agency Antara as saying.

Members of anti-Malaysia Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (People’s Democracy Defense) erected a road block on Jalan Diponegoro in Central Jakarta on Tuesday and checked IDs of people passing by to identify Malaysians. The operation, according to group members, was done to protest the government’s slow and indecisive response to the alleged stealing of Indonesia’s traditional cultural heritage by Malaysia.

Commission member Yusron Ihza Mahendra warned on Wednesday that Malaysia could also conduct similar acts against Indonesian migrant workers.

“This is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, let them do the diplomacy through the proper channels,” Yusron said. “I fully understand why many people are angry with Malaysians, but it doesn’t mean that we have the right to engage in anarchy.”

Yusron, however, also said the Malaysian government should respect Indonesia and not claim the country’s territory and culture as its own.

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Comments

kzacar

10:17 AM September 29, 2009

How do Mustar and his Benteng thugs like it when we start sweeping Indonesians off from streets of Kuala Lumpur?

Well, Malaysian would not do it. Not in our civility vocabularies of accepted behaviours.

Mustar and his thugs are just that - ignorant, and idiot to the core. A common thug.

freudian83

2:56 PM September 11, 2009

you sure you are an Indonesian golddust?

Senja

12:54 PM September 11, 2009

Yes true, my group of friends and our society consisting of arounf 25 people were looking forward to visit Indonesia for the first time. The trip was shedule end of the month but now have been cancelled, everyone was to worried to make the trip, even our tour agent had suggested to cancelled it. Am very sure many more tour group have also have done the same.

ying

1:43 PM September 10, 2009

@golddust : I agree with you, from your comment I can tell you're just as dumb as you claimed to be, but pretty please do not assume that 220 million others Indonesians have the same intelligence (or lack thereof) as you do. I'm getting sick of Indonesians underestimating their own nation just because some morons threw their crazy tantrum. These thugs did not represent the whole country, stop generalizing, it hurts!

golddust

12:28 PM September 10, 2009

Indonesian is a dumb people from top to bottom.including me.!!!

calypso087

11:06 AM September 10, 2009

I read that the Malaysian minsitry went so far as to organized functions, talks and events to diffuse the fear in Indonesian students & tourists. And these events were unplanned & organized overnight, in response to the possible flight of Indonesian students and tourists who might fear of repraisal although there isn't any indication that this may happen. They are just taking precaution.

How they treasure the hard earned business? When can we see the same common sense in our government?

alleycats

10:50 AM September 10, 2009

Can you imagine the mayhem if these thug get hold of a bus full of Malaysian tourists? The abuses that these innocent pple will subjected to, when all they want to do is have a good time (& contribute to the economy by spending) in a country that prides itself as land of smiles ....

The tourism ministry still keeps mum about this. Absolutely no sense of urgency !! Whereas the Malaysian minister almost immediately made public statement that to calm Indonesians students & tourists in that no such thing will happen in KL. They really mean business whereas we are still busy playing cat & mouse ....

heng

10:13 AM September 10, 2009

I truly concur & agree with the comments of aaronm, MMA, & Valkyrie; terrorist are being pursued and arrested as they kill innocent people, whilst the FPI is out hunting for innocent Malaysians but not arrested. Obviously other tourist would be fearful of seeing these FPI thugs on the streets of Jakarta & not being arrested by the Police. I sincerely that innocent Malaysians will not be hurt or harmed.

aaronm

9:19 AM September 10, 2009

When will the Indonesian police stop sitting on their backsides and start doing their jobs, i.e. busting open the heads of thugs like these and the FPI who believe they have a right to stop the lawful movement or business dealings of individuals in this country?