Protesters do not Understand History - Indonesian Parliament Speaker

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 (Bernama) -- The recent acts of violence against Malaysian interests in Indonesia over certain cultural elements do not reflect the stand of the government and the 240 million people of Indonesia, an Indonesian leader said here on Monday. Dr Marzuki Alie, Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, said the people who issued provocative comments and engaged in the violence did not understand history. "Indonesia is still developing. Only a few understand history, like how in the early days Indonesians migrated to Malaysia and became Malaysian citizens and they surely want to defend the cultural elements they had brought along," he told reporters after calling on the Lower House of Parliament's Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia at Parliament House, here. Some Indonesians had rioted outside the Malaysian embassy and in front of Malaysia Hall in Menteng, Jakarta, in protest against a Malaysian proposal to recognise the 'Tor-tor' dance and the 'gordaang sembilan' drums as the heritage of the Mandailing community in Malaysia. Marzuki said those who understood history would not have reacted in that manner because they would realise that the Mandailing community in Malaysia migrated from Indonesia hundreds of years ago. He said that an explanation had to be given over the issue to avert any adverse impact on Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur ties. "If the matter is explained clearly, there will be no question of any adverse impact on the people-to-people relations between Malaysia and Indonesia," he said. Yesterday, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said Malaysia could not accept the violence against Malaysian interests in Indonesia and the provocative comments by certain quarters in the republic. Commenting on his meeting with Pandikar Amin, Marzuki said he discussed bilateral ties and added that the parliament of the two countries had the responsibility to improve the relations. Marzuki, who is also president of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), said he had also sought Malaysia's support on several resolutions to be raised by Indonesia at the APA secretariat meeting scheduled for next month in Jakarta. -- BERNAMA