M.G.G. Pillai: Manners Please Ghafar Baba!

The Editorial of Observer (Indonesia) bulletin 29 Sept 1998 on Ghafar
Baba:-. 

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Frankly speaking we do not take kindly to the visit of Mr. Gaffar, a
former DPM of Malaysia, who came here to tell us that he disapproves
of some of the things Indonesian papers have written currently of
Malaysia.

Brandishing some of the newspapers which he said were supporting
former DPM, who was unceremoniously put behind bars by PM, he
purported to teach the Indonesian press lesson by instructing them
to devote their energies to publishing useful issues rather than
focus their attention on the minor domestic affairs of a
neighbouring country '.

Then he utterred that oft-repeated statement by Dr. Mahathiar that
foreign countries are attacking Malaysia because they do not want
Malaysia to remain stable and prosperous

Indonesia and other Asia and Pacific region, and for that matter in
the rest of the world, for the sake of their mutual interest, would
prefer a prosperous Malaysia with which they could have trade and
commercial ties, rather than a poor Malaysia.

He followed up this naive statement with insulting remarks such as "
if Indonesians truly want a figure like Anwar, they can just come
and take him out of Malaysia", and then went on to criticize efforts
by Indonesian sympathizers who are staging a campaign to collect
money to pay for the defense of Anwar, by suggesting that the money
would be better spent to buy essentials for the needy Indonesians.

We cannot remember a time when a foreigner who said he came here in
a private capacity had the temerity to say insulting things to our
face. We must therefore have patience with the likes of Baba who
comes from a country which, despite in modern appearance, is
actually a feudal society, which received its independence on a
golden platter from the British. 

This puts us in a different category from Malaysia because we are
revolutionaries who fought and died to achieve our independance. We
cannot understand why Baba would come to Indonesia to announce his
country's stand on homosexuality, which is an accepted fact by every
civilized country in the world.

We are truly disappointed in your mission, Mr. Baba, whether or not
you come under the instructions of PM Mahathiar, it is later than
you realize, because it is now the beginning of the end for
feudalistic establishments which will be swept away by the new wave
of reform initiated by Anwar Ibrahim. 

        Mind your manners, if you come next time. 

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