INDONESIAN GOVT WILL ENSURE SAFETY OF M'SIANS - PM

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak
said the Indonesian government will ensure that the safety of Malaysians in the
republic is guaranteed following unfriendly actions by "vigilante groups" on
Malaysians there.

He said this was conveyed to him by Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia Da'i
Bachtiar during a meeting they had Wednesday.
"I have conveyed to Pak Try Sutrisno (Try Sutrisno) Malaysia's worry
about the safety of Malaysian citizens in Indonesia and he has promised to bring
it up with the Indonesian government.

"The Indonesian ambassador in our meeting earlier today told me they were
taking action to ensure no harm comes to Malaysians," he told reporters after
breaking fast with members of his Cabinet at his official residence here.

Sutrisno leads the Indonesian side in the Indonesia-Malaysia Eminent Persons
Group, a body which hold dialogues on issues of mutual concern to the two
countries. The Malaysian side is led by Musa Hitam.

Najib was asked to comment on the actions of the vigilante groups, members
of which were conducting "sweeping" operations to identify and harras
Malaysians.

On Sept 8, a group of Indonesians calling themselves "Benteng Demokrasi
Rakyat" (BENDERA) (People's Democratic Front) reportedly threatened to use
bamboo spikes on Malaysians along a Jakarta street and had demanded passers-by
to show proof of their nationality.

There had also been demonstrations outside the Malaysian Embassy and in the
latest one, protestors pelted rotten eggs at the embassy building last week
after Malaysia was accused of “stealing” the Balinese pendet dance in a
promotion of Malaysia aired by the Discovery Channel.

Rotten eggs were also hurled at a house rented by Malaysian students of
Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta by a group of local undergraduates over the
Pendet dance.

Discovery Channel has apologised for the error made by a Singapore-based


--BERNAMA