30 mei 2008 04:35

BKPBM Hosts Indonesia-Malaysia Business Meeting

Mahyudin Al Mudra SH.MM (BKPBM), DR. Achmad Habib, MA (UMM),
Prof. Dato’ Mohammad Abu Bakar (Dean Faculty of Art and Social Science UM),
Prof. Dr. Mochtar Mas`oed (Dekan Fisipol UGM),
Prof. Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff Abu Bakar (DMDI)

Yogyakarta, MelayuOnline.com- In commitment with its program to widen its cooperation with Malay worlds, The Center for Research and Development of Malay Culture (BKPBM) hosted Indonesia –Malaysia Business Meeting on Wednesday, May 28, 2008. The meeting is an extended agenda of a three-day international seminar of Indonesia –Malaysia Update 2008 organized by Department of social and political science Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Indonesia, in cooperation with Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia.

The meeting finally started at 14.00 a bit late from the expected schedule. Around 80 participants attended this meeting including no less than 30 Malaysian delegates from UM academia, Gadjah Mada professors, DIY officials, and few UGM students. To cover the number of participants attending the venue, BKPBM provided its hall and backyard.

In his remarks, Drs H. Mulyono, Kulonprogo vice regent who represented Yogyakarta administration very welcomed to such program which he believed will enhance the cooperation between the two countries. He believed this program will contribute to the cultural understanding between the two nationalities. Similar response also came from a Malaysian panelist.

In his welcome remarks, Mahyudin Al Mudra, the head of BKPBM reemphasized his holistic concept of Malay world which is based on similar historical, cultural backgrounds of Malay people. Instead of basing it on certain race and religion as many people perceive it. This concept according to Mahyudin allows non-Muslims in Malay regions being determined as Malay. This inclusive definition of Malay could be uniting factor of tough friendship between Indonesia and Malaysia.

“Malay culture should not be exclusively Riau or Malaysia” Mahyudin said. Rather it must be reconstructed by looking at sociological and historical facts among Malay people in different areas. Historically, before the Islam period, Malay people in different regions shared similar tradition based on Hinduism and Buddhism. Likewise, in the interior areas during the ages of Islamic kingdoms, which occupied most of costal areas, Malay people were introduced to and got used to Christian tradition. Those different religions should not be obstacles for us of being one family. In a brief, finally Mahyudin explained his portal MelayuOnline.com as an effort to realize his ideas of Malay culture.

The meeting finally ended in a shared hope that the program would be upgraded with further practical programs of cooperation among Malays in different countries. Indeed, the same meeting will be held in Kuala Lumpur next year to follow up the reached commitment today in Yogyakarta. (AL/brt/01/05-08)

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