MINISTER THANKS PRESS FOR ATTENTION TO PENDET DANCE

Jakarta, Aug 25 (ANTARA) - Tourism and Culture Minister Jero Wacik has thanked the country's press and artists for their concern for and great attention to the inclusion of the Balinese pendet dance in a Malaysian tourism promotion advertisement.

"I have to thank them for their great attention to the matter," the minister said here on Tuesday.

He said that the press' intention to defend the nation was clearly seen when the pendet dance which belonged to Bali's culture was used by Malaysia in its tourism promotion without permission from the Indonesian government.

The minister said it was understandable if the people of Indonesia were upset over the issue, but he suggested that the press should not exaggerate it so that the situation would not develop into something worse.

"It is reasonable for us to be upset but we should not take anarchic actions. We should show that we are a civilized nation. So, we should react in a respectable and civilized way," the minister said.

Many have launched protests at home against the depiction of the dance in the Malaysian tourism advertisement broadcast in the Discovery Channel program under the title "Enigmatic Malaysia."
Indonesia has reportedly sent a letter to the Malaysian government to protest against the use of Balinese traditional "Pendet" dance by that country for promoting its tourism industry.

But an official denied on Tuesday that Indonesia had sent a protest, saying the Indonesian government was not protesting but only asking for a clarification from the Malaysian government.

"This is not a protest note but a letter requesting a clarification from the Malaysian government," Ketut Wiryadinata, a special emissary from Indonesia's culture and tourism ministry, said at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.***5***