Suspecting Singapore

Editorial, The Jakarta Post, May 24, 2007


Xenophobia gets Indonesia nowhere

Singapore has often been scapegoated by its much bigger but much less wealthy neighbor, Indonesia, for its domestic chaos. The giant neighbor also likes to bully the city state. But outward-looking Singapore continues to prosper, leaving the intimidating friend far behind.

In chapter 17 of his autobiography, From Third World to First, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew describes the ups and downs of Singapore's relations with Indonesia from 1965 to 2000. Among other things, he recalls how Indonesia's third president, B.J. Habibie, described the city state as a little red dot compared to his country.

Lee also quotes his envoy to Jakarta as warning him that Singapore "would be a convenient whipping boy whenever there was discontent in Indonesia".

The most recent case is the newly signed treaties of extradition and defense cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore. Indonesian legislators have threatened to veto the defense agreement, saying Indonesia's sovereignty is in great danger. So far they have only agreed to endorse the extradition treaty, which many people wrongly think will be a magic bullet to eradicate Indonesia's widespread corruption problem.

Many politicians and highly educated Indonesians have come out against the defense agreement without thoroughly studying the two treaties. In any relationship some give and take is unavoidable. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has briefly cited some benefits from the agreement, including access to Singapore's sophisticated military technology and facilities.

Is it true that Indonesia will get nothing from the cooperation while Singapore gets too much? Military cooperation between the two countries has already gone on for decades, including the use of Indonesian military facilities in Riau. Before the new treaty was signed, Indonesia had also already inked security cooperation agreements with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

It is the duty of the House to ensure that any treaty provides maximum benefit to the people. Of course other countries have the right to expect the same.

There is a strong impression that House lawmakers will reject the defense treaty just to show they care about the nation, while they continue to lose credibility among the people.

Like it or not, this nation is becoming more and more xenophobic, if not paranoid of foreigners. If we are honest with ourselves, we will find this is because we cannot cope with our growing inferiority complex in the face of more advanced nations.

To overcome the House's resistance, the government needs to reach out to the public by openly and intensively explaining the pluses and minuses of the two treaties. It is not nearly enough to have Minister Hassan Wirayuda brief the legislators without talking to the public.

It would also be very helpful if Singapore approached the Indonesian audience and talked honestly about the treaties from its perspective.

Indonesia will win international respect only when its economy flourishes, or when people from all layers of its society, including the weak and minorities, are proud of being Indonesian because the state protects them better than any other state treats its citizens.

Neighbors will respect Indonesia only when we can prove we are able to play a leading role in improving security and prosperity in the region while treating individual countries equally.

The House now has a great chance to prove whether this nation deserves such respect.