Although both nations are tied by a common religion, language, proximity and cultural heritage that dates back centuries, the relationship has been known to be unfriendly, as they often engage in diplomatic spats.[4] Since their independences, Indonesia and Malaysia have moved in different directions in their respective social, economic, and political development, which often lead them to serious bilateral tensions.[1] The unequal pace of democratisation in the two countries over the last decades has made the relationship increasingly problematic. Malaysian government-controlled media has been restrained in reporting sensitive issues involving Indonesia. On the other hand, Indonesia's liberal mass media has played a key role in inflaming the tension.[1]
During the colonial era, the region was contested among European colonial powers, notably British and Dutch. From the 17th to early 19th century, various states, ports, and cities in the region were held as Dutch colonies or British possessions. The current borders between Indonesia and Malaysia were inherited from those established by the colonial powers through their treaties. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 and 1824 significantly shaped the territories of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. These treaties officially divided the archipelago into two: British Malaya, which was ruled by the United Kingdom, and the Dutch East Indies, which was ruled by the Netherlands. The successor states of British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies are Malaysia and Indonesia, respectively. The line that separated the spheres of influence between the British and the Dutch ultimately became the border between Indonesia and Malaysia.
During World War II both British Malaya and Borneo together with the Dutch East Indies fell to the Japanese Empire. After the Japanese defeat, Indonesia declared its independence in 1945, followed a war of independence against Dutch until 1949. The British re-established their authority in Malaya, and their withdrawal two decades later meant the independence of the states of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. The diplomatic relations between the Republic of Indonesia and the Federation of Malaya were established promptly after Malaya's independence from Britain in 1957.[8]
After the fall of Sukarno, relations between Indonesia and Malaysia were restored under President Suharto; as both parties agreed to normalize the bilateral relationship and pursued peaceful co-operation and partnership. The bilateral relations recovery process was started on 1 June 1966 when the foreign ministers of two nations signed the Bangkok Accord to end hostility and confrontation. Followed by Jakarta Accord signed on 11 August 1966 in Jakarta, marked the re-establishment of bilateral relations. In September 1967 Indonesian Liaison Office was opened in Kuala Lumpur, which led to the establishment of the Indonesian embassy.[8]
In 1967, both countries, together with the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, founded ASEAN to ensure peace and stability in the region. Since the 1970s, under the Suharto and Mahathir administrations, both countries enjoy a relatively cordial and close relationship, stemmed from both proximity and serumpun (kinship) spirit. However, some diplomatic spats have occurred that at times put tensions on bilateral relations. These range from territorial disputes, treatment of migrant workers to accusations of cultural theft.
In early 1965, a group of Indonesian soldiers blew up a building in Singapore (while it was still a part of Malaysia). Two of the soldiers were arrested and sentenced to death. The execution took place in 1968.[9]
Currently, both nations are in a territorial dispute over the oil-rich islands of Ambalat.[11] Previously, they were over territorial disputes over the islands of Ligitan and Sipadan, which were won by Malaysia.[12]
The recent border disputes have arisen in Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea area mainly because of the disagreement on exact locations of maritime naval borders in these waters. Both parties involved in arresting and detaining their counterpart's officials and fishers accused of territorial breaching violations and illegal fishing.[13][14][15][16]
Defense cooperation
During the New Order era, when the government decree was issued on March 12, 1966, Indonesia banned the spread of communism and banned its organizations. At that time there was a communist movement called North Kalimantan Communist Party (NKCP) in West Kalimantan and Sarawak. At that time, Indonesia and Malaysia then worked together to carry out the purge because the communists were considered a common enemy.[2]
Indonesian migrant workers (Indonesian: TKI abbreviation of Tenaga Kerja Indonesia) have become an important issue between both countries. From the 1980s to the 1990s, Malaysia saw economic growth and development, industrialization, and modernization. With its large population and abundant workforce, Indonesian workers began to regard Malaysia as an attractive destination for work as a means of improving their economic situation. In 1997 both Indonesia and Malaysia were hit by a financial crisis that prompted the fall of the Indonesian Suharto regime. Large numbers of Indonesians lost their jobs, and Indonesian migrant workers began to pour into Malaysia, many of whom were illegal.[17]
Indonesian migrant workers are plagued with issues such as poverty, human trafficking, abuse, and extortion. Approximately 300,000 domestic workers, most of them from Indonesia, are employed in Malaysia. Many work up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, for wages of 400 to 600 ringgit (US$118–177) a month, and typically must turn over the first six to seven months of their salary to repay exorbitant recruitment fees. Some suffer physical or sexual violence from their employers.[18] In 2009, Indonesia stopped sending domestic workers to Malaysia until both countries agreed on how to protect them. Indonesia resumed sending migrant workers to Malaysia in December 2011 after both countries signed a memorandum of understanding about worker protection in April of that year.[19]
Culture relations
Centre for Education and Culture of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuala Lumpur.
Because of many similarities and shared cultures between Indonesia and Malaysia—also because of significant numbers of Indonesian-origin immigrants in today's Malaysian demographic—both countries are often involved in cultural disputes. Through an intensive tourism campaign, Malaysia has featured some famous cultural icons, namely the Rasa Sayang song, batik textile, wayang kulit shadow-puppet play and barongan dance.[20] This tourism promotion and cultural campaign had alarmed and upset certain Indonesians who believe that these arts and cultures belong solely to them. As the reaction, many Indonesians felt the need to safeguard their cultural legacies, and to the extreme developed anti-Malaysian sentiments. In 2009, the Pendet controversy fuelled again the cultural disputes among neighbours, although this time it was not from Malaysia's official accounts.[21] The advertisement promoting Discovery Channel's programme "Enigmatic Malaysia" featured a Balinese Pendet dance which it incorrectly showed to be a Malaysian dance.[22][23][24][25]
Disputes over the origins of a variety of dishes found in both countries is also a perpetual issue, from rendang[21] to lumpia (known as popiah in Malaysia) or even dishes as simple as nasi goreng and pisang goreng.[26] The claims to an extent also overlap with neighboring Singapore. Despite the dispute never leading to a severe confrontation between the two countries, and politicians of both sides having even acknowledged it as "petty", in Indonesia, however, an activist group held a demonstration in front of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta to protest the origin of the dish lumpia in February 2015.[27] Similar reaction also occurred during the barongan and pendet controversy respectively.[28]
On the other hand, the shared language and culture have their own benefits on connecting the people of both countries. The national language of Indonesia is a standard variety of "Riau Malay", which despite its common name is not the Malay dialect native to the Riau Islands, but rather the Classical Malay of the Malaccan royal court used in Malay Peninsula.[29] In 1972, Indonesia and Malaysia each adopted a spelling reform plan, called the Perfected Spelling System (Ejaan yang Disempurnakan) in Indonesia and the New Rumi Spelling (Ejaan Rumi Baharu) in Malaysia in an effort of harmonizing spelling differences between the two countries.[30] Although the representations of speech sounds are now largely identical between the Indonesian and Malaysian varieties, a number of minor spelling differences remain.
Various Indonesian music, films and sinetrons are popular in Malaysia. Numerous Indonesian bands and musicians have their fan-base in Malaysia and often performed some concerts in Malaysia. Vice versa, Malaysian singers such as Sheila Majid and Siti Nurhaliza are beloved and popular in Indonesia as well. Malaysian animation Upin & Ipin with deep Malay culture had also gained wide popularity and appeal among Indonesian children and families.[31] However, this cultural exchange is not always appreciated; the overwhelming popularity of Indonesian music in Malaysia had alarmed the Malaysian music industry. In 2008, the Malaysian music industry demanded the restriction of Indonesian songs on Malaysian radio broadcasts.[32]
Additionally, the two nations are fierce rivals in international association football. Competitive matches between the Indonesian and Malaysian team are famed for their enormous turnout and intense atmosphere, whether the tie is held in Malaysia or Indonesia. In recent years, a series of Indonesian fan violence broke out in Indonesia, especially when the country is facing Malaysia in the match.[33]
Environment
The slash and burn practices to clear the lands for Indonesian palm plantations in Sumatra and Kalimantan have caused haze and smoke fog that have been blown northwards by wind and have reached Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and, to a lesser degree, the Philippines and Thailand. A series of Southeast Asian haze events occurred in 1997, 2005, 2006 and 2009, and reached the highest haze pollutant levels in June 2013.[34]
The haze is hazardous for health and dangerous for transportation, especially flight safety in the region. The trans-border haze problems have strained diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Malaysia, and also with Singapore. The Malaysian and Singaporean governments had noted their protest and urged the Indonesian government to reduce the hot-spots. At the peak of the haze that usually occurs during the dry season, Malaysia and Singapore offer assistance to put off the fires. The Indonesian government has banned the slash and burn practice. However, the method is still widely used to clear palm oil plantation lands.[35]
Another important environmental issue is trans-border illegal logging. The Indonesian government has expressed the concern that many rain forests along the Indonesia—Malaysia borders in Borneo were suffering illegal logging, mostly done by Malaysian loggers. The concern was aroused because Malaysian authorities seem to be doing nothing to prevent the crime and even seem to be encouraging this practice to increase Malaysian timber yield.[citation needed]
Media
Malaysians expressed their concern that media in Indonesia seems to encourage and foster anti-Malaysia sentiments through distorted news coverage, exaggerations, and blowing the issues beyond the proportions.[36] The Malaysian government is concerned about anti-Malaysia sentiments, protest and aggressive actions of certain extremists amid the bilateral spats over the Pendet controversy and the mistreatment of Indonesian housemaids in Malaysia.[37] Malaysia government also stated that they had run out of patience and sent a protest letter to Indonesia after a demonstration triggered by a maritime dispute in Indonesia.[38]
On the other hand, the Indonesian media has accused the government-controlled media in Malaysia of presenting negative opinions and poor images of Indonesia and Indonesian people as a political agenda to prevent the Indonesian reformation and democratic movement from spilling beyond its borders.[39] The government of Indonesia also had sent the notes of protest for Malaysian media on using the term Indon to refer to Indonesia and Indonesian people that is now considered as a derogatory.[40]
Education
As of December 2012, about 6,000 Malaysians are studying in Indonesia while about 14,000 Indonesians are studying in Malaysia.[41]
Trade and economy
Malaysian companies that are investing in Indonesia are Maybank, CIMB, Petronas, Tabung Haji, Proton Holdings and Sime Darby, as stated by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in his message to Malaysians in Indonesia while he and the Raja Permaisuri Agong were on a state visit to Indonesia in December 2012.[42] Both countries are actively pursuing subregional economic co-operation to develop trans-border economic zones and free-trade areas that could generate a regional economy, such as Sijori (Singapore-Johor-Riau) on the west and BIMP-EAGA in the east region. In December 2017, both countries alongside Thailand launched a framework to allow the use of local currencies in settlement of trade between them.[43]
In 2017, Indonesia was Malaysia's seventh-largest source of imports,[44] while Malaysia was Indonesia's fourth-largest source of imports.[45] The 2017 data from the World Bank indicated that Malaysia had a positive balance of trade with Indonesia of around 600 million US dollars.[46]
Because of their proximity, travellers from both countries are an essential source of visitors that generates the travel and tourism industry. Indonesians are the second-largest visitors to Malaysia, reaching 2,548,021 visitors in 2013.[47] On the other hand, Malaysians are also the second-largest visitors to Indonesia, reaching 1,302,237 travellers in 2011.[48] The top visitors of both countries are Singaporean visitors. Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Penang are popular destinations for Indonesian travellers, and vice versa Bandung, Medan and Bukittinggi are particularly famous among Malaysian tourists.
The Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation or Borneo confrontation was an armed conflict from 1963 to 1966 that stemmed from Indonesia's opposition to the creation of the state of Malaysia from the Federation of Malaya. After Indonesian president Sukarno was deposed in 1966, the dispute ended peacefully.
The Riau Islands is a province of Indonesia—not to be confused with neighbouring Riau Province from which the Riau Islands Province were separated in 2002. The capital of the province is Tanjung Pinang, while the largest city is Batam. It shares a maritime border with Riau and Jambi to the west, Bangka Belitung Islands to the south, Singapore to the northeast, Malaysia and West Kalimantan to the east, and Vietnam and Cambodia to the north. It comprises a total of 2,028 islands scattered between Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, and Borneo including the Riau Archipelago. Situated on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes along the Malacca Strait and the Natuna Sea, the province shares water borders with neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei. The Riau Islands also have relatively large potential mineral resources and energy, as well as marine resources.
Natuna Regency is an islands regency located in the northernmost part of the Province of Riau Islands, Indonesia. It contains at least 154 islands, of which 127 of them are reported as uninhabited. This archipelago, with a land area of 1,978.49 km2 out of a total area of 264,198.37 km2 area, This area is divided into island clusters such as the Natuna Island Cluster and the Serasan Island Cluster. However, several other islands that are not located in the two clusters are spread over a wider area. This division reflects the geographical and administrative location of the district, but there are also other small islands that are outside these two main clusters and are not always included in the grouping. Administratively, this area is divided into 17 districts (kecamatan) which function to facilitate management and services for the local community and support the development of the potential of the region which is rich in natural resources and tourism. This regency also plays an important role in maintaining Indonesia's sovereignty in the northern border area.
Zapin is one of the most popular dance and musical forms in traditional Malay performing arts. Dance movements are choreographed to melodies, which are performed using musical instruments such as the gambus, accordion, and rebana. It is believed to have been introduced by Persian and Arab Muslim missionaries from the Middle East to the Malay Archipelago around the fourteenth century, where back then only males were allowed to perform; nowadays, female dancers are included. It used to be performed exclusively for religious ceremonies but through the years it has become a form of traditional entertainment, hence the participation of female dancers is allowed.
The Culture of Malaysia draws on the varied cultures of the different people of Malaysia. The first people to live in the area were indigenous tribes that still remain; they were followed by the Malays, who moved there from mainland Asia in ancient times. Chinese and Indian cultural influences made their mark when trade began with those countries, and increased with immigration to Malaysia. Other cultures that heavily influenced that of Malaysia include Persian, Arabic and British. The many different ethnicities that currently exist in Malaysia have their own unique and distinctive cultural identities, with some crossover.
The ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution is a legally binding environmental agreement signed in 2002 by the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to reduce haze pollution in Southeast Asia. The Agreement recognises that transboundary haze pollution which results from land and/or forest fires should be mitigated through concerted national efforts and international co-operation.
The Banjar or Banjarese are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Banjar regions in the southeastern Kalimantan regions of Indonesia. Nowadays, Banjarese diaspora can be found in neighbouring Banjar regions as well; including Kotabaru Regency, the southeastern regions of Central Kalimantan, southernmost regions of East Kalimantan, and some provinces of Indonesia in general. The Banjarese diaspora community also can be found in neighbouring countries of Indonesia, such as Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.
The 2006 Southeast Asian haze was an air pollution event caused by continuous, uncontrolled burning from "slash and burn" cultivation in Indonesia, which affected several countries in the Southeast Asian region and beyond, including Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, and as far away as Saipan; the effects of the haze may have even spread to South Korea. Local sources of industrial pollution also, inadvertently, contributed to increases in air toxicity ; notably at-risk areas included communities close to textile factories, fertilizer plants, meat-packing plants, industrialised dairy farms, shipping ports, and oil refineries. Air quality was lower, overall, for residents of more densely-populated cities. In the highly urban and industrialised Klang Valley of Malaysia, in particular, the surrounding elevated terrain acted as a natural retainer of polluted air, aggravating the situation as the haze set in.
Greater Indonesia was an irredentist political concept that sought to bring the so-called Malay race together, by uniting the territories of the Dutch East Indies with British Malaya and British Borneo. It was espoused by students and graduates of Sultan Idris Training College for Malay Teachers in the late 1920s, and individuals from Sumatra and Java, including Mohammad Natsir and Sukarno, on 28 September 1950. Indonesia Raya was adopted as the name of what later became the Indonesian national anthem in 1924.
The 1997 Southeast Asian haze was an international air pollution disaster that occurred during the second half of 1997, its after-effects causing widespread atmospheric visibility and health problems within Southeast Asia. Considered the most severe Southeast Asian haze event of all time, the total costs of the 1997 haze are estimated at US$9 billion, due mainly to health care and disruption of air travel and business activities.
Malay Indonesians are ethnic Malays living throughout Indonesia. They are one of the indigenous peoples of the country. Indonesian, the national language of Indonesia, is a standardized form of Riau Malay. There were numerous kingdoms associated with the Indonesian Malays along with other ethnicities in what is now Indonesia, mainly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. These included Srivijaya, the Melayu Kingdom, Dharmasraya, the Sultanate of Deli, the Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura, the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, the Sultanate of Bulungan, Pontianak Sultanate, and the Sultanate of Sambas. The 2010 census states that there are 8 million Malays in Indonesia; this number comes from the classification of Malays in East Sumatra and the coast of Kalimantan which is recognized by the Indonesian government. This classification is different from the Malaysia and Singapore census which includes all ethnic Muslims from the Indonesian archipelago as Malays.
The Indonesia–Malaysia border consists of a 1,881 km land border that divides the territory of Indonesia and Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It also includes maritime boundaries along the length of the Straits of Malacca, in the South China Sea and in the Celebes Sea.
Indonesia and the United Kingdom established diplomatic relations in 1949 and have maintained strong relations since then. Indonesia has an embassy in London while the United Kingdom has an embassy in Jakarta. The United Kingdom considers Indonesia an increasingly important partner globally and is committed to efforts to take bilateral relations to new heights. Both nations are members of G-20 major economies.
Indonesia and Singapore established diplomatic relations on 7 September 1967, a month after the formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 8 August 1967. Indonesia and Singapore are two of the five founding members of ASEAN. Both nations are also members of the Non-Aligned Movement and APEC.
Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia established diplomatic relations in 1984. Since then, both countries enjoy warm and friendly relations. Brunei has an embassy in Jakarta, while Indonesia has an embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan. Indonesia and Brunei don't share direct land borders. Since diplomatic relations were established back in 1984, relations between the two countries overall progressed well, and both sides continued to enjoy strong ties in a wide spectrum of co-operations; including trade and investment, tourism, agriculture, marine and fisheries, health, defence, transnational crimes, education, youth, culture and people-to-people contacts.
The 2013 Southeast Asian haze was a haze crisis that affected several countries in Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Southern Thailand, mainly during June and July 2013. The haze period was caused by large-scale burning in many parts of Sumatra and Borneo. Satellite imagery from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites showed that the haze was mainly due to smoke from fires burning in Riau province, Indonesia.
The 2015 Southeast Asian haze was an air pollution crisis affecting several countries in Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines.
Asam pedas is a Maritime Southeast Asian sour and spicy fish stew dish. Asam pedas is believed to come from Minangkabau cuisine of West Sumatra, Indonesia and has spread throughout to the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.
A trans-national air pollution crisis affected several countries in Southeast Asia from February to September 2019, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The borders of Indonesia include land and maritime borders with Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor, as well as shared maritime boundaries with Australia, India, Palau, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
References
1 2 3 Clark, Marshall; Pietsch, Juliet (18 March 2014). Indonesia-Malaysia Relations: Cultural Heritage, Politics and Labour Migration (Media, Culture and Social Change in Asia Series). Routledge. p.11. ISBN978-0-415687-52-2.
Md. Khalid, Khadijah; Yacob, Shakila (2012). "Managing Malaysia-Indonesia relations in the context of democratization: the emergence of non-state actors". International Relations of the Asia-Pacific. 12 (3): 355–387. doi:10.1093/irap/lcr024. ISSN1470-482X.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
