Published: Thursday November 12, 2009 MYT 11:52:00 AM
Updated: Thursday November 12, 2009 MYT 12:20:34 PM
Malaysia, Indonesia to rise above petty issues (Update)
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Indonesia will not let petty issues raised by certain quarters to sour ties between the two nations but will instead further the work to strengthen the already close bilateral ties, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Thursday.
Speaking at a joint media conference with visiting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the prime minister said while certain quarters were out to undermine ties between both countries, in reality, leaders of Malaysia and Indonesia were close allies.
“Although we have a few outstanding issues, they should not take precedence over the good things done by both governments in cementing the ties. We have had close traditional ties like the visit of Indonesian leaders to Malaysia and vice-versa.
“We are looking at forging closer interactions between centres... like media to media, parliament to parliament and non-governmental organisations to non-governmental organisations,” he said.
Najib said that during a closed door meeting with the Indonesian president in the morning, both of them expressed the hope that more programmes could be organised for the youths of both countries.
They also wanted to see economic ties to be further enhanced, he said.
Najib also said Malaysia appreciated the presence of foreign workers especially Indonesians in the country.
However, if they broke Malaysian laws, they would have to face the laws of the land, he added.
Meanwhile, Susilo said he chose Malaysia as the first country to visit since his reelection as the Indonesian president because Malaysia is a friend, a neighbour and a strong partner in the development of the race. -- Bernama
More to come
Related story:
Soured ties with Indonesia: Who is the third party?
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