M'sia and Indonesia in dispute over Pendet

Yours, mine, or ours? Malaysia and Indonesia are again at loggerheads over the misappropriation of culture. — Reuters pic

JAKARTA — A brouhaha in Indonesia over Malaysia’s usage of the Balinese pendet dance in a tourism commercial has now shifted to another controversy involving the Malaysian national anthem.

Indonesians were up in arms after seeing the commercial on Malaysia that featured the pendet dance.

Kuala Lumpur had apologised for the use of the Balinese dance but said the mistake was made by a third party who was paid by Malaysia’s Tourism Ministry to produce the commercial.

The Malaysian embassy in Jakarta said in a statement earlier this week: “Nobody in Malaysia claimed that the pendet dance originated in Malaysia.”

But that is not the end of the story.

A report in yesterday’s Jakarta Globe newspaper quoted an executive from a state-owned recording company as asking why Malaysia’s national anthem “Negaraku” sounded like the Indonesian song “Terang Bulan” (Moon Shine).

Ruktiningsih, the head of recording company Lokananta, urged the Indonesian government to act on the “violation of intellectual property rights”.

“We have to unite against Malaysia, as they keep stealing Indonesia’s assets,” he added.

An Internet search found that both songs do indeed share the same roots. Malaysia acknowledges as much on a government website detailing its monarchy system.

The song “Terang Bulan” comes from a popular French melody in the Seychelles, which spread to the Malay archipelago in the early 20th century.

It was adopted as Perak’s state anthem in 1901. And in 1957, it became the national anthem for Malaysia with the lyrics changed.

This tangle is just one of many controversies between the neighbours. Indonesians see Malaysia as appropriating their cultural assets, while Malaysians say these have been part of their culture for as long as anyone can remember.

The controversies include batik designs and the popular “Rasa Sayang” ditty. The neighbours have also not settled overlapping claims in the oil and gas-rich Ambalat area in the Sulawesi Sea.

Speaking to The Sunday Times yesterday, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said bilateral ties between both countries were still strong despite the hoo-ha.

An Eminent Persons Group comprising officials from both countries is looking into ways to smooth over these tensions.

“One idea is for the joint promotion of tourism and their shared cultural heritage,” he said. — The Straits Times

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OCPD: Volatile situation ‘did not permit’ police action

ACP Noor Azam Jamaludin … ‘we did not want to spark more anger’. – Picture by Choo Choy May

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

SHAH ALAM– Shah Alam OCPD ACP Noor Azam Jamaludin today explained that the police had failed to act during the cow-head demonstration at the state secretariat because the situation “did not permit” them to do so.

“We saw the situation was not right because we did not want to spark more anger but we will take actions based on other evidences that we have. We will take action based on evidence and against those who have been identified,” Azam said.

Dozens of riot police stood by and watched as protesters brought the severed cow-head to the Selangor state secretariat and stomped on it.

The act, which is offensive to Hindus who regard the cow as sacred, was carried out by a group of 50 protesters who oppose the relocation of the Sri Mahamariamman Temple to Section 23 to Section 19, claiming the area is mainly occupied by Malay-Muslims.

The 150-year-old temple was built on a plantation which over the years was developed into housing estates by the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS). No provisions were made to relocate the temple, which is now in the middle of a Muslim majority area.

Azam assured that the police will begin investigation immediately based on the reports that they have received and the report that the police made yesterday.

The police will be arresting the protestors under section 27 (5) of the Police Act and Sedition Act.

Azam also advised the public to be patient and not to take drastic actions because the police “will bring justice to those responsible.”

“I regret what happened, the cow-head should not have been used as an issue. We will take action and identify who are involved and responsible for the head,” he said.

Azam also confirmed that the police will increase their presence in section 23.

“We won’t compromise where safety is concerned. I do not want any racial fighting like what was said in the mosque,” he said. (TMI)

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Protesters threaten bloodshed over Hindu temple

The group making their way to the Selangor secretariat building after their prayers. - Picture by Choo Choy May

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

SHAH ALAM— A group of Malay-Muslim protesters claiming to be residents of Section 23 have threatened bloodshed unless the state government stopped the construction of a Hindu Temple.

Amid chants of "Allahuakbar," the group also left the severed head of a cow at the entrance of the State Secretariat here as a warning to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

The "residents" said that the construction of a Hindu temple in a 90 per cent Malay- Muslim neighbourhood was insensitive because activities there would disrupt their lives.

They claimed that the "noise" from the temple would disturb their own praying, and that they would not be able to function properly as Muslims.

The group of 50 over protestors marched shortly after Friday prayers from the Shah Alam State mosque to the State Secretariat.

“I challenge YB Khalid, YB Rodziah and Xavier Jeyakumar to go on with the temple construction. I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension will happen if this goes on, and the state will be held responsible,” shouted Ibrahim Haji Sabri amid strong chants of “Allahu Akbar!”

Ibrahim identified himself as the Deputy Chairman of the Resident’s Committee against the building of the temple in S23 here, which is perceived by some as being a Muslim majority area.

He told the press that the state should move the temple to Section 22 as ‘originally planned’, and also labelled Khalid a “traitor to the Malay race and Islam”.

It is understood that the protest is an immediate reaction towards the Selangor MB’s visit to the Hindu temple site yesterday, an act seen by the "residents" as disrespectful to the Muslims of the community.

A symbol of objection?... The cow's head being paraded by the protestors in their march. - Picture by Choo Choy May

Mohd. Zurit Bin Ramli, who claims to be the secretary of the "Coalition of Malaysian NGOs" echoed Ibrahim’s stand on the matter, saying that it was irresponsible on the part of the state government to approve the construction as there was apparently a “90 per cent” majority Muslim population in Section 23.

“With a temple on our residential area, we cannot function properly as Muslims. The temple will disrupt our daily activities like prayers in the Surau. We cannot concentrate with the sounds coming from the temple,” stated Zurit.

When asked whether members of the protest were affiliated with any organisations or movements, Ibrahim claimed that the people present today were members of PAS, PKR as well as Umno who are “united in the name of Islam and the Malay spirit.”

The state government was also accused of lying to the people of Selangor.

The Chairman of the Residents Committee, Mahyuddin Manaf excitedly proclaimed that the committee would uncover “the lies” and find proof of the state’s misconduct.

“Khalid Ibrahim wears a mask of a Muslim, but in truth he is a liberal. PAS stands to lose out as a result. I voted for PAS as well as Khalid in the past elections,” Mahyuddin claimed.

The issue first cropped up when the Selangor government proposed that the Sri Mariamman temple be relocated from Section 19 to Section 23. (TMI)

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