1/15/2015 IndonesiaandMalaysiaslovehaterelationship|AsianCorrespondent

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IndonesiaandMalaysiaslove
haterelationship
ByNewMandalaApr08,201412:04PMUTC

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Vendorssell"WayangKulit"(shadowpuppets)bylanternlightinJakarta.Pic:AP.

ByMarshallClark

TheIndonesiaMalaysiarelationshipcanbedescribedasoneofthemostimportantbilateral
relationshipsinSoutheastAsia.Bothstatesarecommittedtotherelationshipandagreatdeal
hasbeenmadeabouttheirsimilarstock(serumpun)andmuchvauntedsiblingidentity
(persaudaraan).Butoverthelastdecadeorsobilateralrelationshavebeenstrainedby Chinasendinglarge
variousissues. Ebolareliefteamto
WestAfrica
Theyear2009wasaparticularlybadyear,withantiMalaysiademonstrationsinJakarta
associatedwiththeAmbalatterritorialdisputeandtheallegedmistreatmentofthe
IndonesianmodelManoharabyherMalaysianhusband,thePrinceofKelantan.Moreover,
therewasapublicoutcryinIndonesiaafterMalaysiaallegedlylodgedintangiblecultural
heritageclaimswithUNESCOtoavarietyofsupposedlyIndonesianculturalforms.

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ThestakingofclaimsovereachothersculturecametoaheadwhenUNESCOrecognised
batik,awaxresistantdyeingtechnique,asadistinctlyIndonesianformofintangiblecultural
heritage.ThiswasseenintheregionasasnubtoMalaysia.Inflamingthesituation,
allegationsalsoemergedsuggestingthatthemelodyoftheMalaysiannationalanthemwas
plagiarisedfromanoldIndonesiankeroncongsong.Duringthesameperiodseveral
Malaysiantourismadvertisingcampaignsinadvertentlyappropriatedbriefclipsof
Indonesianartforms.
Islam,politicsand
violenceinMalaysia
Allofthepresenttensionscanbeblamed,ultimately,oncolonialismandnationalism.As
manyscholarshaveargued,thecolonialencounterhasirrevocablydeterminedthemanner
andextenttowhichfriendsintheMalayworld,otherwiseknownasNusantara,have
becomestrangers,orworse.Manycommentatorshavehighlightedthemistreatmentof
IndonesianmigrantworkersinMalaysiaasthekeysourceofdisquietintherelationship.This
issuehasbeenquietlybubblingawayfordecadesuntilthepresentday,despitethe
Indonesiangovernmentplacingamoratoriumonthesendingofmaidsandotherworkersto
Malaysiaformuchof2010and2011.InNovember2011,afterthenegotiationofimproved
protectionarrangementsforIndonesianworkers,themoratoriumwasrescinded,forbetteror FormerSriLankaleader
MahindaRajapaksa
worse.
deniescoupallegations

Malaysiasallegedculturalheritageclaims:100%fiction
Butthereisanotherissueeatingawayatthebilateralrelationshipthewidespreadnotion
withinIndonesiathatMalaysiahaslaidclaimtoIndonesianculturalandartforms.Arguably,
thisnotionisresponsibleformuchoftheantiMalaysiasentimentinrecenttimes.Itshould
alsobestatedfromtheoutsetthattheallegedculturalheritageclaimsdidnotoccur.

AccordingtoseveralUNESCOofficialsinKualaLumpur,Malaysiahasneversubmittedan
officialclaimforaUNESCOlistingofanydisputedformsofintangibleculturalheritage, Strikecalledby
oppositionparties
includingbatik.Whynot?ApparentlytheMalaysiangovernmentdoesnotwantto
cripplesNepalscapital
deliberatelyantagonisetheirmuchlargerandmorepowerfulneighbour.Thishasmeantthat
Malaysiahasheldbackfromlodginglegitimateclaimsformuchofitsbestknowncultural
heritage,includingbatikandwayangkulit(shadowpuppettheatre).

MalaysiaseffortstoplacateIndonesiaseemtohavefallenindeafears,mostrecently
demonstratedbythe2011SEAGames,heldinJakartaandPalembangduringthemonthof
November.FormanyMalaysians,the2011SEAGameswerememorablefortwothings:1)the
stridentantiMalaysianismdemonstratedbybothcrowdsandofficialsalikeand2)Malaysia
Deadlybootlegliquor
winningthegoldmedalfootballfinalagainstIndonesiainfrontofapartisancrowdof
killsatleast17in
100,000attheGeloraBungKarnoStadiuminJakarta. northernIndia

HarimauvsGaruda
InMalaysia,Indonesiasgenerallydiscourteousreceptionattractedalotofmediaattention,
addingspicetothewaveofnationaleuphoriainresponsetoMalaysiasvictoriousU23
footballteam,dubbedtheHarimauMuda(YoungTigers),whowerepittedtwiceagainstthe
hostnationsGarudaMuda(YoungEagles).Malaysiasvictorywasmademuchsweeterby
theparochialcrowddynamicsofthecauldronlikeSovietstyleGeloraBungKarnoStadium,
whichwasbuiltin1958withthehelpoftheSovietUnion.Beforebothmatches,theMalaysian
Huaweisays2014profit
mediamilkedthebilateralrivalryforallitwasworth,describingitasanoholdsbarred up17percent,salesrise
encounterbetweentwobitterrivalswithamassivecrowdpackingthestadiuminthehopeof 20percent
witnessingtheIndonesianbullgoretheMalaysianmatador.

AshasbeenwellpublicisedonYouTubeandotherInternetchatforums,precedingthegrand
finalmatchtherenditionoftheMalaysiannationalanthem,Negaraku,wasdrownedoutby
alargeproportionoftheparochialcrowd.TheMalaysianplayersandofficialswereobviously
uncomfortable,butcontinuedtosingtheanthemnonetheless.Theselloutcrowdfigureof
approximately100,000couldhavebeenquiteconservative,asmanyofthetensofthousands
offanswithoutticketsmillingoutsidethestadiumweregrantedentry,toavoidastampede.
Thiswasnotthefirsttimeinthetournamentthestadiumwasfilledtocapacity,either,as
IndonesiahadalreadyplayedMalaysiabeforeinthegroupstage.Thegroupmatchwasalso
markedbytheMalaysiannationalanthembeingdrownedout.

Mediahype,backslappingandsoulsearching
ThereareseveralsalientpointsworthobservingregardingtheSEAGamesingeneraland
Malaysiasgoldmedalfootballteaminparticular.Firstofall,theMalaysianmediaseemed
unusuallyinterestedinIndonesiasantiMalaysiahistrionics.Severalphotographsappeared
inanumberofMalaysiannewspapersdepictingtheMalaysianfootballsquadbeingferriedto
andfromtheirmatchesinIndonesianarmyBarracudas,whicharearmouredvehicleswith
bulletproofwindows.MuchwasmadeofthefactthattheMalaysiancoachrefusedtolethis

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teampracticeonanoutdoorspitch,duetotheexpectedhostilereceptionoflocal
Indonesians.Instead,theMalaysianstrainedbehindcloseddoorswithinthehotelgrounds.

Second,theMalaysianmediacorrespondentsbasedinJakartaandPalembangmadeitquite
clearthattheantiMalaysiasentimentwaspervasive.TheMalaysiankarateteamwasbooed
throughoutthethreedaytournament,theentirebadmintonteamwasnotsparedandeven
Malaysianpolevaultathleteshadtocontendwithanopenlyhostilecrowd.Noneofthis
hostilitywasdirectedattheothernationscompeting.AstheMalaysianchefdemission
DatukNaimMohamadobserved,theIndonesianfansdirectedalmostalloftheirinvective
andjeersattheMalaysiancompetitors.

Finally,whenthedustsettled,thebackslappingandsoulsearchingbegan.Intermsofthe
backslapping,itappearedthatapartfromboastingtheprizedgoldmedalinfootball,
Malaysianscouldreflectproudlyonthefactthattheywouldneverbowtointimidationnor
wouldtheyeverbeungracioushosts.Forexample,intheweekaftertheirtriumphinJakarta,
theYoungTigersplayedanOlympicsqualifieragainstSyria,intheBukitJalilNational
StadiuminKualaLumpur.Themannerinwhichthecrowdconducteditself,andparticularly
themannerinwhichtheMalaysiancrowdstooduprespectfullyfortherenditionofthe
Syriannationalanthem,wasworthyofamentionintheeagleeyedMalaylanguageSinar
Harian.ThefactthattheexhaustedMalaysianslost20tolowlySyriawasoflittleconcern.

StillbaskingintheJakartavictory,mediacommentatorscongratulatedMalaysianson
appearingtoovercome,atleastmomentarily,thebarelysuppressedsociopoliticaldivisions
whichstillseemtobethreateningthenationalfabricatitsmostfundamentallevels.Verylittle
wasmadeoftheChineseethnicityoftheU23coach,OngKimSwee,forexample(although
someTVcommentatorsremarkedsomewhatpatronisinglyonhisgoodcommandofMalay).
AccordingtoChokSuatLingoftheNewStraitsTimes:

On[thenightoftheYoungTigersvictory],anaircraftmighthavedetonatedin
midairandnoonewouldhavenoticedasalmosteverysingleMalaysian
includingthosewhodontknowwhatoffsidemeanswasgluedtothe
television.Onlysportscanbringeveryonewhethertall,short,thin,horizontally
challenged,rich,poor,aBarisanNationaloroppositionsupporter,Malay,
Indian,Chinese,anddanlainlaintogether.Indeed,sportisaunifierlikeno
other.

Ofcourse,inthedaysandweeksafterwardstheallencompassingglowoftheYoungTigers
gloriouseffortsseemstobeslowlybutsurelydiminishingaseverydayrealitykicksbackin.

Intermsofsoulsearching,somecommentatorswerehappytofanthebilateralflamesand
otherspreferredtoplayeverythingdown.InoneofthelastfrontpagereportsontheSEA
Gamesfiasco,MalaysiasYouthandSportsMinisterDatukAhmadShaberyCheekcalledfora
senseofperspective.HeinsistedthattherewasnobadbloodwithIndonesiansandifthere
wereanyisolatedexpressionsofhostilityitwasjustamongasmallnumberofpeopleand
certainlynotareflectionofthecloserelationshipsharedbetweenthetwogovernments:

IbelievethelovehaterelationshipbetweenIndonesiaexistsbecauseweareso
close.Itisatendencyamongneighbourstohavemorethanafewsquabbles.

AtleastoneMalaysiannewspaperarticlepausedtoconsidertheunderlyingcausesofthe
openhostility(beyondthemuchquotednotionthatIndonesiawasseekingrevengeforlosing
apreviousclashbetweenthetwoin2010),namelysocialmediaclaimsthatMalaysiansare
knownforabusinghousewivesandmaidsandMalaysiastolethecopyrightsofIndonesian
traditionaltextiles.Ofcourse,manyIndonesiansfeelaggrievedthatMalaysiahasattempted
tostealorratherclaimtheirculturalheritage.Thisisnowsuchawidelyheldbeliefthatthe
verbmengklaim(toclaim)hasnowenteredtheIndonesianlanguageoverthelastfiveyears
orso.DuringthesameperiodtheneologismMalingsiahasalsobeencoinedasapejorative
synonymforMalaysia(malingisanIndonesianwordforthieforrobber).

Butasmentionedearlier,wecanhavesomeconfidenceintheknowledgethatMalaysiahas
notofficiallyclaimedanyofwhatIndonesiansmightregardasdistinctlyIndonesiancultural
heritageforms.Moreover,inrecentyears,Malaysianshavedemonstratedlittleinterestin
respondingtoIndonesianhostilityontheculturalfront.Indeed,whenitcomestobatik,
UNESCOslistingofbatikasadistinctlyIndonesianintangibleculturalheritagehasbarely
registeredonMalaysiasnationalbarometer.

Malaysianbatik:fromstrengthtostrength
DespiteUNESCOsrulinginfavourofIndonesia,inMalaysiathebatikindustrycontinuesto

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experienceaprolongedperiodofresurgence.Batikplaysanimportantcommercialroleinthe
nationalGDP.In2008,thetotalsaleofbatikcraftsamountedtoasmuchasRM62.5million,
whichis0.0118%ofMalaysiasGNPtotallingRM528.3billion.Therobustpopularityofbatik
isdemonstratedbythelargenumberofMalaywomenwearingbatikfashiononadailybasis.
ThebustlingnatureofMalaysiasbatikindustryisdemonstratedinmanyotherways,
includingthroughthepublicationofnumeroushighqualitycoffeetablebooksand
magazinesonbatik,mostofthemfocusingonMalaysianbatikinparticular.

AwomanarrangesbatikinKualaLumpur,Malaysia.Pic:AP.

Malaysiacanalsoboastanimpressivenumberofmuseums,exhibitions,galleriesandfashion
showsdevotedtoshowcasingbatikart,designandfashion.Thistrendwasperhapsinspired
bythelateDatinSeriEndonMahmood,thewifeofformerPrimeMinisterAbdullahBadawi,
whoestablishedtheannualMalaysianBatikWeekaswellasotherinnovationssuchasan
annualcompetitionforbatikdesigners.EndonMahmoodisalsoknownastheinspiration
behindBatikThursday,whenallpublicservantshavetowearbatik(madeinMalaysia,of
course).Finally,therearenumerousbatikinnovatorsinMalaysia,includingbatikartistssuch
asFatimahChikandDatinSharifahKirana,aswellastrulyinterestingbatikmodernisers,
suchasDatukRadzuanRadziwil,whohasbeencollaboratingwithagroupofprisonersat
theKajangWomensPrison.

Intermsofbilateraltensionsandculturalcontestations,itappearsthatIndonesiansare
constantlymakingagreatdealoffussaboutnothing.Malaysia,meanwhile,seemstobedoing
whatitdoesbest,whichistoweatherthelateststormfromitsnoisyneighboursandfocuson
developingitsownculturalheritagebothartisticallyandeconomically,withorwithout
UNESCOrecognition.

DrMarshallClarkisaSeniorLecturerintheSchoolofPoliticsand
InternationalRelations,AustralianNationalUniversity.Hehasjustpublished
abook(coauthoredwithJulietPietsch),IndonesiaMalaysiaRelations:
CulturalHeritage,PoliticsandLabourMigration(Routledge2014).Hecanbe
contactedat:marshall.clark@anu.edu.au

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yaaseen 4monthsago
verybiasedarticle
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MartinMuljana 9monthsago
greatarticle..
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