Fifty years have passed since Indonesia and Malaysia established full relations as two independent nations living side by side. Things have not always been good through these five decades. In fact, it is probably easier to remember the bad times while taking for granted most of the positive aspects of our neighborly relations.
There was the painful and traumatic war -- or "Konfrontasi" as Indonesian leaders called it then -- of the 1960s. That must have been the lowest point in our relationship.
There have been other tensions since the two countries ended the war. But while none threatened to erupt into full-scale conflict, they still managed to act as irritants to what could have potentially been a much more fruitful and productive relationship.
Indonesia has swallowed a bitter legal defeat in the fight over two small islands off Borneo. Malaysia complains of the haze that Indonesia seems to "export" to Malaysia each year, while Indonesia continues to make an issue out of the poor -- and sometimes cruel -- treatment received by "Indon" migrant workers in Malaysia.
In actual fact, there has never been a real shortage of good news in our country‘s relationship with Malaysia, but this had often been taken for granted and rarely highlighted.
So it was a very good gesture on the part of Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar to recall the contribution of the hundreds of Indonesian math teachers who went to Malaysia in the early years of that nation‘s independence in the 1960s. Hamid did this during a seminar to mark the golden jubilee of the two countries‘ relationship in Jakarta on Tuesday, co-hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and Malaysia‘s Institute for Strategic and International Studies.
Malaysia and Indonesia have in the past provided leadership in turning Southeast Asia from a region of conflicts to one of peace and stability, allowing the current spread of prosperity through most nearby countries.
Today, our two economies have become so integrated that progress in one cannot go forward without progress in the other. Malaysian investment has come to play a major role in this country, while the same "Indon" workers that have been the source of so much controversy have also had their large contribution to Malaysia‘s economic progress acknowledged.
Our relationship is unique and special. No two neighboring countries could be more similar in many respects, yet so very different in others.
While we share many things in common -- including Malay heritage, language, cultures and values and even, for many of us, Islam -- our history as colonies of separate European powers means that our present and our future will follow different paths.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy while Indonesia is a republic striving for liberal democracy. These are systems that each country has developed in accordance with its own conditions. No one can claim to have a better system than the other, however we can be sure that Malaysia‘s system has ensured greater prosperity for its people.
Looking ahead to the next 50 years, the common traits shared by the two nations will continue to define the relationship, for better or for worse.
What the two nations should do is coexist as two respectful neighbors and continue to cooperate and work together for the good of the both countries and the entire Southeast Asian region.
While we should not put too much emphasis on our shared Malay cultural background and Islamic faith, they can still help us forge greater understanding and thereby build cooperation.
One thing we should not do, however, is place the wrong expectations on this special relationship or take each other for granted. The current spat between the two countries, that is Indonesia‘s reaction, or overreaction, to the beating of an Indonesian karate referee in Malaysia, is a case in point of misplaced expectations in this relationship. Malaysia has launched an investigation into this unfortunate incident and promised to punish the guilty party. We could not ask for more than that, no matter how special our relationship is.
We wish many happy returns to Malaysia, which will celebrate its 50th independence anniversary on Friday. We look forward to an even happier relationship in the future.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (31 Agustus 2007)