TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Dato' Seri Zahrain Mohammad, Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia, claimed that his country has no objection towards President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's style of leadership, which adopts a firm stance on certain issues, including the destroying of foreign illegal ships involved in illegal fishing. Zahrain said that the Malaysian government will not object to such action if it is in accordance with prevailing laws in Indonesia.
"It is not difficult to cooperate with the current [Indonesian] government. As long as the legislations are clear. What difficult is if the legislations were unclear," Zahrain said during his visit to Tempo office on Monday, March 23, 2015.
As a neighboring country sharing its border with Indonesia, Malaysia said that it will not protest if any of its ships were sunk for trespassing Indonesian territorial waters. Zahrain had even introduced Irmohizam H. J. Ibrahim, the Chief of Malaysian Fishery Development Agency, to the Indonesian Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Ministry Susi Pudjiastuti. During a meeting, both officials have discussed cooperation opportunities in the fisheries and maritime sector, and have agreed to battle fish theft.
Zahrain said that the most important thing between both countries relationship is respect of each country laws and legislations. Zahrain claimed that Malaysia will also 'destroy' foreign ships caught stealing fish in its territorial waters. However, instead of blowing these ships, the Malaysia employs a different method. "We have sunk Indonesian fishermen ships, although [the method] is not extravagant. We don't blow the ships, just put a hole on it, and it sinks," Zahrain said.
BUNGA PADMA
