Malaysian Foreign Minister Regrets Fuss Over Pendet Issue, Wants To Stay Friends

Jakarta - Malaysia`s minister for foreign affairs said on Thursday that recent claims his country “stole” Indonesia`s pendet dance were based on a mistake clearly admitted by the Discovery Channel and the uproar should have ended there.

“We never claimed the pendet dance belonged to Malaysia,” Datuk Anifah Haji Aman told reporters at a joint news conference with his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, after holding bilateral talks at the ministry`s office in Central Jakarta.

Anifah said he respected Indonesia`s press freedom but regretted that some media outlets continued to misrepresent the issue.

“The issue should have stopped right there,” Anifah said, adding that he hoped the media could focus more on news fostering better neighborly relations instead of provoking public anger.

“We understand that some of our cultural products are the heritage of our ancestors who came from Indonesia,” he said.

Hassan said disputed claims between the countries over cultural heritage were discussed at the meeting and that they had agreed to cooperate to defuse any disputes with potential for rifts.

“There is no need to be sensitive over the spread of Indonesia`s culture in Malaysia because cultural values are universal,” Hassan said, adding that earlier spats over cultural claims had been clarified by the tourism ministries of the two countries.

“We have reached a better understanding, which will hopefully allow us to avoid repeating such misunderstandings in the future,” Hassan said.

The two ministers agreed on the need to anticipate potential spats because there were always new issues that could arise. “We`re neighbors after all, so it is possible that we will have problems from time to time,” Anifah said. “Therefore, we have recognized the necessity of better communication between heads of states and ministers.” Hassan did not provide any specific details.

Hassan also said the Eminent Persons Group, formed last year by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak with the aim of improving relations between the two countries, had provided a number of recommendations for resolving bilateral disputes.

“A road map was recently submitted to the president but the [pendet issue] surfaced before we had the opportunity to discuss it,” Hassan said.

“We have a multidimensional relationship with Malaysia,” the foreign minister said, adding that the countries had also agreed to strengthen joint efforts to counter terrorism, including expanding the exchange of intelligence information. “We might even run joint operations if they are needed.” Ismira Lutfia

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