Teach Australia how to behave, Zam tells Asean

He says Jokowi should attend the KL summit with pride after executing Australian drug traffickers.

PETALING JAYA: Former Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin has urged Asean leaders to use their summit meeting in Kuala Lumpur next month to discuss Australia’s alleged arrogance towards its neighbours.

In a blog posting today, Zainuddin proposes that Indonesian President Joko Widodo take the lead in the discussions and the formulation of an agenda “to teach Australia how to behave towards Asia, specifically Asean”.

He says it would be an appropriate role for Widodo because his country has often been the target of bullying by the Canberra government, “acting as the United States’ policeman”. He cites the current Australian opposition to the execution of two Australians for trafficking in drugs in Indonesia as an instance of this bullying.

He says it would be unrealistic to expect Malaysia to advance the agenda because the country’s relations with Australia have strengthened since Najib Abdul Razak became Prime Minister.

“Neither can we expect Wisma Putra officials to be sensitive to this matter because they no longer hold Asian nationalistic sentiments, drowned as they are in their reverie of romance with (US President) Obama,” he adds.

In a long digression, Zainuddin takes the opportunity to heap praise on former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad for the tough stance he took against Australia during his tenure.

He recalls an Australian Broadcasting Corporation interview with Mahathir, in which the ex-premier warned Australia against trying to teach other countries how to run their affairs.

“Mahathir specifically mentioned Australia’s bullying of Indonesia, especially its intervention in the Timur Timur affair,” he says.

He urges Widodo to attend the Kuala Lumpur summit with “head held high after the execution of the two Australian criminals”.

According to a news report from Jakarta today, the two ringleaders of the “Bali Nine” Australian drug gang were being transferred from Bali to another Indonesian island to be executed.

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are among nine foreigners expected to face an Indonesian firing squad in the coming days.