ID :
68949
Fri, 07/03/2009 - 21:07
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/68949
The shortlink copeid
AMBALAT, MAID ISSUES HEAT UP PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN
By Mohd Nasir Yusoff
JAKARTA, July 3 (Bernama) -- Several issues related to Malaysia have been
heating up the campaign in the Indonesian presidential election, with the three
election rivals articulating their ways of dealing with them.
Among the major issues are the overlapping claims on the oil-rich Ambalat
waters in Sulawesi and the ill-treatment of Indonesian maids in Malaysia.
Incumbent president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is defending the seat for
a second term, said Indonesia would not let even a metre of Ambalat to be
compromised.
Susilo came under fire from his rivals, who questioned the way he dealt with
the issue. Megawati Soekarnoputri, for instance, said that an Indonesian leader
should be firm on the matter.
Another presidential hopeful, incumbent vice-president Jusuf Kalla, lives up
to his slogan of "Lebih Cepat Lebih Baik" (the sooner the better) when he became
the first candidate to raise the issue in the campaign, pledging to defend
Ambalat "either through negotiation or war."
Malaysians in Indonesia admitted there were quite taken aback by Jusuf's war
statement because the vice-president, who is from south Sulawesi, has good
rapport with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak who also has roots in south
Sulawesi.
Susilo explained that going the diplomatic way was a choice and never a sign
of weakness.
"If war is the option, then let's go to war; but if we are rational, let's
be rational. The important thing is that we are not going to let even a metre of
our territory to be compromised," he said.
Susilo had contacted Najib at the height of the issue to calm the situation
down and to keep at bay elements that could precipitate tensions between the
Malaysian and Indonesian armed forces.
Megawati's running mate Prabowo Subianto said that in the Ambalat issue, the
people should support the stand taken by the president.
Prabowo, the former head of Indonesian special force, Kopassus, expressed
the hope that the relations between Malaysia and Indonesia remained cordial but
said that there should never be any bargaining on matters pertaining to
Indonesian territorial sovereignty.
Susilo also said that Indonesia lost Sipadan and Ligitan to Malaysia, and
Timor Timur after the former Portugese colony declared its independent, because
the two issues were left to others to resolve.
"We let the United Nations to solve the Timor Timur issue and the
InternationalCourt of Justice to handle the Sipadan-Ligitan issue.
"In the future we must be able to solve our own internal problems," he said
during the third and final presidential debate last night.
Susilo said that besides adopting a firm diplomacy, in defending its
territory,Indonesia should also develop advanced infrastructure including in the
information and communication technology and uplifting the people's economic
well-being.
Political observer Sukardi Rinakit told Bernama that the Ambalat issue was
close and sensitive to hearts of the 170 million Indonesian voters.
"These issues, to me, are even bigger than the human rights issue involving
Prabowo and Wiranto when they were military leaders," he said.
Wiranto is Jusuf's running mate.
Another issue being raised in the presidential campaign was the plight of
320,000 Indonesian maids in Malaysia and reports of abuse by employers involving
some of them.
Observer said Susilo had the upper hands on the maids issue as he had set up
an agency to oversee and protect Indonesian foreign workers.
During the campaign for the election, which ends Saturday, the Malaysian
embassy here had seen thousands of Indonesians staging numerous demonstrations
over the Ambalat and maids issues.
Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia Zainal Abidin Mohamed Zain said the wide
coverage in the Indonesian media over the two issues was not only because they
were hot issues in the election but rather, a reflection of the actual situation
on the ground.
Another political observer Salleh Dani said issues concerning Malaysia were
more dominant compared to issues with other countries.
"This cannot be avoided as we are very close to each other," he said, adding
that the issues were real and raising them in the election did not amount to
Malaysia being Indonesia's punching bag.
Salleh said the presidential election this time around would hinge on the
way people perceive the candidates' stand on territorial issues like Ambalat
after the bitter experience of losing Sipadan and Ligitan.
"The foreign workers issue is also important as many of the three million of
them are voting in the election. Their families, who would want the best
protection for the workers, are also voting in the election," he said.
-- BERNAMA
JAKARTA, July 3 (Bernama) -- Several issues related to Malaysia have been
heating up the campaign in the Indonesian presidential election, with the three
election rivals articulating their ways of dealing with them.
Among the major issues are the overlapping claims on the oil-rich Ambalat
waters in Sulawesi and the ill-treatment of Indonesian maids in Malaysia.
Incumbent president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is defending the seat for
a second term, said Indonesia would not let even a metre of Ambalat to be
compromised.
Susilo came under fire from his rivals, who questioned the way he dealt with
the issue. Megawati Soekarnoputri, for instance, said that an Indonesian leader
should be firm on the matter.
Another presidential hopeful, incumbent vice-president Jusuf Kalla, lives up
to his slogan of "Lebih Cepat Lebih Baik" (the sooner the better) when he became
the first candidate to raise the issue in the campaign, pledging to defend
Ambalat "either through negotiation or war."
Malaysians in Indonesia admitted there were quite taken aback by Jusuf's war
statement because the vice-president, who is from south Sulawesi, has good
rapport with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak who also has roots in south
Sulawesi.
Susilo explained that going the diplomatic way was a choice and never a sign
of weakness.
"If war is the option, then let's go to war; but if we are rational, let's
be rational. The important thing is that we are not going to let even a metre of
our territory to be compromised," he said.
Susilo had contacted Najib at the height of the issue to calm the situation
down and to keep at bay elements that could precipitate tensions between the
Malaysian and Indonesian armed forces.
Megawati's running mate Prabowo Subianto said that in the Ambalat issue, the
people should support the stand taken by the president.
Prabowo, the former head of Indonesian special force, Kopassus, expressed
the hope that the relations between Malaysia and Indonesia remained cordial but
said that there should never be any bargaining on matters pertaining to
Indonesian territorial sovereignty.
Susilo also said that Indonesia lost Sipadan and Ligitan to Malaysia, and
Timor Timur after the former Portugese colony declared its independent, because
the two issues were left to others to resolve.
"We let the United Nations to solve the Timor Timur issue and the
InternationalCourt of Justice to handle the Sipadan-Ligitan issue.
"In the future we must be able to solve our own internal problems," he said
during the third and final presidential debate last night.
Susilo said that besides adopting a firm diplomacy, in defending its
territory,Indonesia should also develop advanced infrastructure including in the
information and communication technology and uplifting the people's economic
well-being.
Political observer Sukardi Rinakit told Bernama that the Ambalat issue was
close and sensitive to hearts of the 170 million Indonesian voters.
"These issues, to me, are even bigger than the human rights issue involving
Prabowo and Wiranto when they were military leaders," he said.
Wiranto is Jusuf's running mate.
Another issue being raised in the presidential campaign was the plight of
320,000 Indonesian maids in Malaysia and reports of abuse by employers involving
some of them.
Observer said Susilo had the upper hands on the maids issue as he had set up
an agency to oversee and protect Indonesian foreign workers.
During the campaign for the election, which ends Saturday, the Malaysian
embassy here had seen thousands of Indonesians staging numerous demonstrations
over the Ambalat and maids issues.
Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia Zainal Abidin Mohamed Zain said the wide
coverage in the Indonesian media over the two issues was not only because they
were hot issues in the election but rather, a reflection of the actual situation
on the ground.
Another political observer Salleh Dani said issues concerning Malaysia were
more dominant compared to issues with other countries.
"This cannot be avoided as we are very close to each other," he said, adding
that the issues were real and raising them in the election did not amount to
Malaysia being Indonesia's punching bag.
Salleh said the presidential election this time around would hinge on the
way people perceive the candidates' stand on territorial issues like Ambalat
after the bitter experience of losing Sipadan and Ligitan.
"The foreign workers issue is also important as many of the three million of
them are voting in the election. Their families, who would want the best
protection for the workers, are also voting in the election," he said.
-- BERNAMA
