Banda Aceh, Aceh province (ANTARA News) - A House interpellation on the government`s policy on the recent Bintan border incident with Malaysia is not necessary as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s has already taken the right steps, Golkar Party leader Aburizal Bakrie said.

"The President has already taken the right steps. Therefore, the Golkar Party sees no need for the House of Representatives to use its interpellation right on the government`s policy in the matter," Aburizal who is also known as Ical said here on
Friday night.

Ical said he supported the diplomatic approach the president had chosen to solve the problem with Malaysia which was triggered by the August 13 sea border incident near Bintan Island when three Indonesian fisheries officers were arrested by Malaysian marine police after the former had arrested seven Malaysian fishermen for poaching in Indonesian waters.

He said the president had taken quick , firm and right action in handling the dispute. SBY, he added, had shown the correct attitude in both defending the national interest and keeping good relations with Malaysia as one of Indonesia`s close neighbors.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in his speech on August 4 said Indonesia and Malaysia should soon settle pending border problems through talks to prevent further incidents that could damage their bilateral relations.

"The Indonesian government is of the view that the best solution to the pending problems and to prevent similar incidents in the future is holding dialogs," the head of state said.

He said the talks should cover maritime and border areas, including areas in the Singapore Strait and the Sulawesi Sea or the waters of Ambalat.

Yudhoyono said that it was very important to preserve relations with neighboring nations, Malaysia in particular.

"But this should not mean that we will ignore our national interest, much leas if it concerns our sovereignty and the integrity of the Unitary State of Indonesia (NKRI)," the president said.

Meanwhile, international relations observer from Airlangga University Surabaya, Basis Susilo MA, said the government`s stance in the wake of the August 13 incident in Bintan Island waters was too soft.

He said Indonesia should stage military maneuvers to back up its position in diplomatic talks to settle the pending border problems with Malaysia.

"Substantially, I think, President Yudhoyono`s speech related to Malaysia`s behavior was hard enough, but his style was too soft. The call for talks on border problems is not enough, because the arrest of our three fiheries officers must be responded to strongly through military maneuvers, short of war," he said.

Basis who is dean of the Social and Political Faculty of Airlangga University (Unair), said the military action by Indonesia would be a "show of force" to tell other countries not to mess with Indonesia.(*)

Editor: Ruslan Burhani
COPYRIGHT © 2012

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