SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TIES WITH MALAYSIA FALL VICTIM TO ANOTHER DUST-UP

On October 6, members of a private, volunteer Malaysian militia (RELA) detained the wife of Indonesia's cultural attache to Malaysia. The latest incident follows on the heels of several cases of alleged mistreatment of Indonesian migrants working in Indonesia. For example, Indonesians were outraged when an Indonesian soccer coach was roughed up in August and when a young Indonesian woman, 20-year-old Suriyani Nas, alleged that in April she was bound, gagged and raped for a month by a Rela volunteer.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d).

1. (U) This message was coordinated with Embassy Kuala Lumpur.

2. (C) SUMMARY: The brief detention--on illegal immigration charges--of an Indonesian diplomat's wife based in Malaysia has sparked an uproar in Indonesia. Despite a formal apology, the Indonesian national legislature (DPR) has demanded that the GOI take steps to freeze ties with Malaysia.

The Indonesian government has rebuffed those demands and ties remain stable, but Indonesians--who are already inflamed over cases of alleged migrant labor abuse in Malaysia--are feeling increasingly touchy toward their neighbor. END SUMMARY.

A BRIEF DETENTION

3. (U) On October 6, members of a private, volunteer Malaysian militia (RELA) detained the wife of Indonesia's cultural attache to Malaysia. The uniformed personnel--officially authorized to pick up illegal immigrants and deliver them to detention centers--reportedly failed to recognize Nurdin's diplomatic ID. Rela detained the woman for about two hours while her daughter fetched her passport, according to media reports. The Indonesian Embassy filed a formal protest. Embassy official Shanti Utami Retnaningsih was quoted as saying -- "They treated her like an illegal immigrant...It's unacceptable. This incident shows disrespect to members of our embassy."

MALAYSIANS APOLOGIZE

4. (SBU) Reacting to the incident, Malaysia's Ambassador to Indonesia gave an official apology on October 10. Despite this, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak went on to deny publicly that Nurdin was detained at all, claiming that she was merely asked to wait while authorities verified her credentials, according to a Malaysian media report which also received coverage in Indonesia.

BACKLASH IN INDONESIA

5. (C) For their part, Indonesian legislators reacted strongly in the week following the incident. Several DPR members spoke out publicly, calling for withdrawal of the Indonesian ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, freezing the export of Indonesian migrant labor to Indonesia, and halting annual joint military exercises. Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said--given the official protest and official apology--the matter should now be laid to rest. Based on Pol/C's soundings over the October 13-14 weekend, Indonesian politicians were still angry over the incident, claiming that it shows that Malaysians have "no respect" for Indonesians.

6. (SBU) Sentiments of bruised nationalism have spilled over into culture as well, with recent calls by prominent Indonesians to boycott Malaysian products because of allegations that Malaysia has infringed upon the copyrights of popular Indonesian folk song "Rasa Sayang" ("Feeling of Love"). A song with the same tune and near identical lyrics has recently been employed to promote Malaysian tourism.

Theo Sambuaga, Chairman of the DPR's Commission I which deals with foreign and security affairs, stated publicly on October 9 -- "We ask Malaysia, its apparatus and the media, to stop denigrating Indonesians."

TIES A BIT BRUISED -- BUT STABLE

7. (C) The latest incident follows on the heels of several cases of alleged mistreatment of Indonesian migrants working in Indonesia. For example, Indonesians were outraged when an Indonesian soccer coach was roughed up in August (ref B) and when a young Indonesian woman, 20-year-old Suriyani Nas, alleged that in April she was bound, gagged and raped for a month by a Rela volunteer (ref A).

8. (C) In spite of all the problems, Indonesian-Malaysian ties remain stable. The perception is growing among Indonesians that they are somehow not being treated with respect, however. At the heart of the matter, is sentiment among Indonesians that Malaysians have a superiority complex and treat Indonesians as if they are second-class citizens.

A bit embittered, Indonesians increasingly are taking a touchy, nationalistic stance toward their cousins across the strait -- "They just treat us like dirt," said one official to Dep/Pol/C.

HUME (October 2007)