Ignore Bendera, says embassy official

KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesian nationalist group Bendera’s warning that it will shave the heads of Malaysians and deport them is an empty one, said Indonesian Minister Counsellor for Information, Social and Culture to Malaysia Widyarka Ryananta.

Brushing off the claims as another one of Bendera’s attention-seeking tactics, the embassy official said he had full confidence that Malaysians were safe in his home country.

He urged Malaysians to ignore Bendera, which he described as a minority group, and its “extreme” ways, which did not represent the sentiments of the majority of Indonesians.

“We are very disappointed with Bendera’s foul abuse of the freedom of expression that is available in our country,” Widyarka said of Monday’s incident when Bendera members threw human faeces into the compound of the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta.

It had been reported that the activist group had declared a “sweeping” operation against Malaysians, supposedly to have begun yesterday, to deport them.

The group had also defiled the Jalur Gemilang during Monday’s demonstration to protest against the Malaysian authorities’ detention of three Indonesian maritime officers.

“Just like last year, they (Bendera) said they would invade Malaysia but, expectedly, it did not happen.

“They are just a minority group launching an extreme discourse,” said Widyarka.

Meanwhile, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu condemned the action of the demonstrators, saying: “No individual or group must resort to this kind of action as it will hurt relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.”

In George Town, the Penang government stated that it was “very anxious” that the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta had been “contaminated” by demonstrators who threw faeces into its compound.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said such acts must be stopped immediately.

“Malaysia and Indonesia have a good relationship – I am sure the Indonesian government does not condone this very shocking act.”

“Even if there is a misunderstanding, it need not have come to this,” Lim told a press conference after presenting a RM10,000 contribution to the police and armed forces yesterday.

In Johor Baru, the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) students’ representative council described Bendera’s attack as unethical and disrespectful of regional neighbours, especially those who were fasting.

Its president Muhammad Zaki Omar said: “We urge the Indonesian government to take stern action against the protesters for not respecting the friendship between the two nations.”

Citing the example of UTM, he pointed out that the university had sent its students to help those hit by natural disasters in Indonesia such as the Padang earthquake and Aceh tsunami.

He also said Indonesian students were welcome to continue their studies at UTM, adding that some of them were also given financial help to study.