The Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation as happened during the reign of President Sukarno (1963-1966) could transpire again sometime in the future. The confrontation back in the 1960s was triggered by the establishment of a British puppet state in northern Borneo. It was seen as a new form of British imperialism and colonialism, using Malaysia as a disguise. Since then, the Indonesia-Malaysia conflicts have been triggered by a variety of causes, such as breaching the borders between the two countries, the problem of the Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) in Malaysia, and the problem of Indonesian cultures being claimed as theirs by Malaysia.
The cases of violation of territorial boundaries between the two countries have appeared to be a major issue in the conflict between the two countries. The last case that involved the arrest of three employees of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (NOA) by the Malaysian Police had re-triggered the conflict between the two countries. This has escalated from only involving the government elite to also affecting the people at the community level (state people). This edition of Update Indonesia will highlight a main report on the conflicts between Indonesia and Malaysia.
This edition of the Indonesian Update also raises some important themes from several fields. On politics, it talks about the flows of funds within the DPR and the performance of the parliament. On social affairs, it discusses the freedom of worship and the idea of relocating the capital of the Republic of Indonesia.
