Tokyo (ANTARA News) – Konsulat Jenderal RI di Osaka melayangkan surat protes kepada Direktur Malaysian Tourism Office di Osaka, menyusul penggunaan kembali lagu daerah Indonesia dalam acara Asia Festival 2007 yang berlangsung di Osaka pada pertengahan Oktober lalu.

Konsul Jenderal RI Pitono Purnomo mengemukakan hal itu kepada Antara di Tokyo, Kamis, ketika dikonfirmasi mengenai aksi “pembajakan” tersebut.

“Kami sudah mengirimkan surat protes kepada pihak Malaysia namun belum ada respon sama sekali dari mereka,” katanya.

Pihak Konsulat juga sudah melakukan koordinasi dengan pejabat Departemen Luar Negeri RI di Jakarta serta petinggi Departemen Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata, termasuk Kuasa Usaha Ad Interim KBRI Kuala Lumpur.

“Surat protes ini penting sebagai peringatan keras terhadap Malaysia agar tidak lagi sembarangan menggunakan lagu-lagu Indonesia. Kejadian ini nanti bisa diartikan negatif, misalnya seperti menantang Indonesia,” ujarnya.

Oleh sebab itu, katanya, pihak konsulat buru-buru mengirimkan surat peringatan agar Malaysia bisa menahan diri agar hubungan kedua bangsa menjadi semakin memburuk. Terlebih kedua negara merupakan tetangga yang dekat.

Malaysia, Indonesia out of tune

Ong Hock Chuan, Jakarta

Neighboring and serumpun (from the same root) countries Malaysia and Indonesia have been out of step with each other lately over the traditional song Rasa Sayang.

The song and dance over Rasa Sayang began when the Malaysian government used it as a jingle to promote the country’s tourism.

Indonesians were aghast that a homespun Ambonese song had been appropriated by its neighbor. Some legislators called for the Malaysian government to be sued in the international court for stealing an Indonesian song.

Malaysia reacted by saying that the song was as much theirs as Indonesia’s since the song came from the Malay Archipelago. And since Malaysia’s culture is dominantly Malay, they had a right to use it.

Though the Rasa Sayang issue seemed to center over the heritage of a common culture, what it really exposed was the vast cultural difference between Malaysia and Indonesia in what is meant by the word “Malay.”

The difference is rooted over the perception of the concept of “Malay” in.

To Indonesians, Malay means an “ethnic group located primarily in the Malay peninsula, and parts of Sumatra and Borneo,” if you go by the Wikipedia definition. In other words, being Malay is no different from being a Batak, a Javanese, an Ambonese or a Sundanese. They are all, however of one nationality Indonesian, no matter which ethnic group they belong to and everyone is considered equal in the constitution.

This is not so in Malaysia. To many Malaysians, especially the Malaysian government, the word Malay means a race, as proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach.

It is a theory that has been dismissed by anthropologists but, says the Wikipedia entry, “is still often used in this context, and it is the basis for Malay identity within the Malaysian nation.”

And there lies the trap that destroys Malaysia’s claim to any ownership to Rasa Sayang or most of the so-called Malay traditions and culture.

In reality, the Malays in Malaysia are mostly of Indonesian origin, according to Michael Chick, a Malaysian film maker who has studied the issue in depth. He has commented in a blog that 75 percent of Malays in Peninsular Malaysia are of Javanese descent. An additional 20 percent are from the rest of Indonesia.

Yet, because of history and politics, the Malaysian government must maintain the notion that Malay is a race. The notion secures for the government the support and votes of the “Malays” in Malaysia, who constitute a majority of the population.

If it were to acknowledge that Malay is not a race, then it would mean that Malaysia is a diverse nation that comprise ethnic Javanese, Chinese, Tamils, Minangkabau, Negrito, Dayak?It would have to go the Indonesian route of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in Diversity). If this happens the political elite would lose its hold on power.

So this is the reason why Malaysia can only spin poor excuses for its use of Rasa Sayang. And it is for this reason that when it comes to a pissing contest dealing with the ownership of culture and heritage in both countries, Indonesia will always be upwind.

Indonesia, however, should not let this be an excuse to sit on its haunches. Culturally, Indonesia suffers from an embarrassment of richness when compared to its neighbor, but the ability of the government to exploit these potential gems is an embarrassment when compared to Malaysia.

For all its faults the Malaysian government is much better at packaging and marketing than Indonesia.

Indonesians here all admire how Malaysia markets itself with it Truly Asia slogan while living in a country of immense cultural, ethnic and geographic diversity. Its own marketing efforts are miserable and one would be hard pressed to remember the Indonesian tourism slogan.

Indonesia needs to wake up to the fact that it is bad at marketing and if it continues to be bad, its competitors would take advantage. While Indonesia can be righteous, it would also be futile as we all live in a world where migration makes borders meaningless and competition razor sharp across borders.

Indonesia must be competitive to survive. It is blessed by natural resources and the diversity of its peoples and cultures that none can match. It is better to make the most of what we have rather than make much ado over what others take from us.

The writer is Technical Advisor at Maverick, a public relations consultancy specializing in crisis and issues management. He can be contacted at ong[at]maverick.co.id.

Diaz Hendropriyono, Washington, DCDespite sharing commonalities, the relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia has turned sour in recent years. A few years ago, the two claimed ownership of the oil-rich Ambalat sea block, situated near Sipadan and Ligitan islands off the coast of Borneo. Tension grew stronger when Malaysian naval vessel KD Rencong rammed into Indonesian vessel Tedung Naga while patrolling in the area.

The continued mistreatment of Indonesian domestic workers by their Malaysian employers poses another problem. These workers, who represent most of the 240,000 domestic workers in Malaysia, are often considered second-class humans. Not only do most earn less than 25 US cents per hour (500 Ringgit per month), if anything at all, many have also been physically, sexually and psychologically assaulted by their employers.

Because of abuse, lack of freedom and other dissatisfactions, thousands of Indonesian maids have run away from their workplace. In June, trying to escape her violent employer, a worker tried to escape from a 15th floor apartment with a rope made of towels and bedsheets. In August, another maid made a similar attempt before being rescued from a seventeenth floor ledge, while a bruised body of an Indonesian servant was found dead at her employer’s home in Kuala Lumpur.

The relationship between the two countries was further exacerbated when Malaysia decided to install harsher punishments for illegal immigrants in Malaysia five years ago, including longer jail time, heavier fines and caning. Such a practice was deemed “inhumane” and hurt Indonesia’s dignity, especially following the forced return of some 400,000 Indonesian workers.

More recently, there have been other cases that have worsened bilateral ties. An Indonesian referee visiting Malaysia for the Asian Karate Championship was confronted by four plainclothes Malaysian police officers over a minor misunderstanding, and was handcuffed, arrested and beaten.

A sophisticated phone-tapping device worth Rp 3 billion and destined for the Malaysian Embassy’s defense attache was confiscated at Soekarno-Hatta airport, where it was brought into the country by a Malaysian national. During an operation to weed out illegal immigrants, the wife of the Indonesian Embassy’s cultural attache in Malaysia was detained by a volunteer security force known as RELA, which treated her like an undocumented guest.

The robbing of seven Indonesian students on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur and the raid on the house of the chairman of the Indonesian Students Association in Malaysia by RELA members put these Indonesians in a state of fear and further strained bilateral relations.

Indonesia also accuses Malaysia of stealing the folk song Rasa Sayange, believed to have originated from the eastern islands of Maluku. Malaysia is also accused of having claimed ownership of other traditional Indonesian heritage, including batik and wayang shadow puppets.

Indonesia has made several attempts to respond to these various problems. For example, Indonesia believed that the Ambalat dispute must be resolved through negotiation.

Responding to the Malaysian government’s failure to act against errant employers, Indonesia’s House of Representatives has considered reporting the cases to the UN Human Rights Commission. The House has also asked the government to request clarification from the Malaysian government about the discovery of the phone-tapping device.

After the RELA incidents and the beating of the Indonesian karate referee, Indonesia demanded an apology from Malaysia. And many Indonesians now see the need to copyright all Indonesian folk songs, especially those with anonymous writers, to avoid further claim by Malaysia.

Unfortunately, however, these efforts are short lived. An article in The Jakarta Post by Rizal Sukma on Sept. 3 noted that “many Indonesians feel there has been a growing tendency in Malaysia to look down on Indonesia … [and] feel that Malaysia has become arrogant …. We are often hurt by the way our neighbor looks at us and perceives us”.

If this were true, as long as Malaysia still looks down on Indonesia, the aforementioned policies could not guarantee that any similar future problems would not emerge.

It is no doubt that these solutions are wise and necessary, and it is not my intention to argue against these courses of action. Yet, a long-term alternative must be found and employed to supplement, rather than replace, these ad hoc strategies. Such a solution rests in the power of Indonesia’s military.

Writing in the 18th century during the U.S. constitutional ratification debate, American founding fathers John Jay in Federalist No. 4 and Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 8 (essays supporting the Constitution over the Articles of Confederation), argued that a country’s healthy defense represses, discourages and thus prevents war rather than invites it.

Following this reasoning, it is vital to rebuild Indonesia’s defense system, improve the military’s professionalism and push other internal reforms. Indonesia is currently on the right track in its attempt to modernize its military. For example, it recently signed a US$1 billion arms deal with Russia to buy submarines, tanks and military helicopters.

Despite a legal problem which has stalled the administrative process since 2002, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono recently stated that Indonesia will continue with the procurement of Mi-17 choppers.

In an effort to increase the military’s professionalism, the House passed Law No. 34/2004 mandating that the government take over all the military’s enterprises within five years. Next, the military’s Rp 33 trillion current budget must be increased to its ideal level, around Rp 100 trillion. The bigger allocation would enable the military to increase the welfare of personnel and to provide better training. Finally, to contribute further to the military’s professionalism, the government of Indonesia should resolve the conflict between the military and the police, which according to the RIDEP Institute has seen at least 10 violent incidents this year alone.

Having a strong defense would change Malaysia’s foreign policy toward its “big brother”. It would remind the Malaysian government to be more committed to stopping the abuse of Indonesian workers. It would remind Malaysia not to encroach on Indonesia’s territory. Most importantly, Indonesia’s stronger defense would make the government of Malaysia and its citizens be more careful in their action toward Indonesia.

The writer is a PhD student at the Center for Public Administration and Policy, Virginia Tech University. He can be reached at dhendrop@vt.edu.

Opinion

Monday October 15, 2007
I REFER to “We’ve lost that loving feeling” (The Star, Oct 11) and I would like to express my concern.

Indonesia claims the song Rasa Sayang belongs to it, but there is no evidence to show who penned the lyrics.

Let’s ask whether is it worthwhile damaging the so-called brotherhood between the two neighbours?

We should cherish our friendship. Besides, both countries share many similarities, such as the language we use.

Maybe both need to cool down and have a peaceful talk.

Why should this be a problem? Instead, let’s jointly apply to Unesco to declare the song an Asean heritage so the young generation will know their ancestors’ creativity.

We need to be together, as well as with other Asean countries, to streng-then each other’s development efforts in economics, political, and culture and to fight against terrorism.

Better have a friend than an enemy!

G.A.F., 

Penang.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) — Malaysian political leaders today declined to be dragged into any argument over a Singapore-Malaysia merger raised by the republic’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew for the second time since 1996.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar were of the opinion that it was needless for Malaysia to react to Lee’s remarks.

“I do not want to spark off a polemic and a dispute in terms of opinion. I feel he (Lee) is just testing the waters. So, it is unnecessary for me to respond,” said Najib.

“What is important is for us to do things our way in Malaysia. We know of our way to achieve success that can enable us to establish harmony. The challenges in Malaysia are more complex than those in Singapore but we have established harmony well,” he added.

Lee had said in an interview with the Asia Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles, published earlier this week, that Singapore would be happy to rejoin Malaysia if it surpassed the island republic’s success.

“They have all the resources. If they would just educate the Chinese and the Indians, use them and treat them as citizens, they can equal us and even do better than us, and we would be happy to rejoin them,” he had said.

Singapore left Malaysia in 1965, two years after having joined the federation.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said there was no necessity for Malaysia to look into something that was never on the table.

“We have never discussed the question of a merger in the Cabinet. I don’t think we need to react to his views. We know what we are doing. The most important thing is (that) we want to build our nation. We have our own uniqueness,” he added.

Syed Hamid said Malaysia was happy to be what it was now.

“We have done very well amidst our diversification. We are happy with what we have achieved and there is much more we need to do to build a united Malaysian nation,” he said.

Malaysia, he said, would cooperate with Singapore in its capacity as a sovereign nation.

– BERNAMA

We

The extent of Malaysia-bashing in the Indonesian media is mind-boggling, especially when we have always regarded Indonesians as close friends and neighbours.

ISN’T IT the quirkiest of ironies? A folk song meant to express the feeling of love has become a subject of spite and resentment. 

Rasa Sayang has already spread much rasa benci (feeling of hate) against Malaysia among some segments of Indonesian society. And as I found out during a week-long trip to Jakarta and Bandung, there has been no let-up in their aversion to Malaysia.

Things haven’t come to the stage of rekindling acrimony against Malaysia to Konfrontasi (1962-66) levels yet, but what is being written in the Indonesian media about us is alarmingly acerbic.

A shameless thief of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. In a nutshell, that’s the image limned by politicians and media commentators who have been busy vilifying Malaysia.

Indonesia’s Tourism and Cultural Minister Jero Wacikhas threatened to sue Malaysia for copyright violation of Rasa Sayang in the Malaysia Truly Asia tourism promotion campaign.

Karel Albert Ralahalu, the governor of Maluku, supposedly the place where the song originated, has even demanded that the matter be brought before the International Court of Justice for arbitration.

Letters published in Indonesian newspapers reflect the current disposition, like this excerpt from one, which appeared in the Jakarta Post:

“Malaysia suffers from inferiority complex. They have a habit of claiming things which are not theirs. They promote the Twin Towers because they don’t have any ancient monuments to be proud of.”

The discord over Rasa Sayang and two other issues – the assault of Indonesian karate coach Donald Luther Kalapita by Malaysian cops in August and continuing media highlights of Indonesian maids abused by Malaysian employers – have brought our relationship to a low.

Even the mostly nice Indonesians whom I met last week couldn’t resist talking about the song, which they spell as Rasa Sayange. All of them insisted that it is the accepted folk tune of Maluku (also known as the Mollucas isles) and that they had learned it as schoolchildren.

But most Indonesians don’t realise that Malays, who make up the majority of Malaysians in the peninsula, are not “Malay” as in the context of people from the Riau province on the eastern side of Sumatra, which include Batam, Bintan and some 3,200 other islands.

Not many also know that under our Constitution, a Malay is a political rather than ethnic definition – a person who practises the customs and culture of the Malays, speaks the language and is a Muslim.

So, based on ethnic considerations, the majority of Malaysians are in essence Javanese, Bugis, Banjarese, Acehnese, Minangkabaus, Bataks, Makarese, Malukus, Sunda, Bawean, in addition to the Malays from the Riau region.

The roots of these diverse groups are so deep that the languages, dialects and patois are still spoken in enclaves.

So, is it really such a big deal if they consider their ancient folk songs as part of a shared heritage?

And what’s wrong if these songs have also been learned by the children of Malaysians whose forefathers came from Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guanxi and other provinces in China or by the descendants of immigrants from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra, Gujerat, Bengal or Punjab in India?

We can’t fault Indonesians if they get upset over our ministers making silly statements about bloggers, or over the assault on their karate coach, or over the unlawful detention of an Indonesian diplomat’s wife by a Rela member.

But it’s really a tad wacky for them to get all hot and bothered over the song Rasa Sayang.

If it is really a case of Malaysia stealing a part of Indonesia’s heritage, then Bollywood has been there and done that – 48 years ago.  Legendary Hindi playback singers Mohd Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar recorded Rasa Sayang in a 1959 movie shot in Singapore which starred Shammi Kapoor, with Maria Menado (the acclaimed Indonesian actress who eventually took up Malaysian citizenship) as a guest star.

The chorus in the Hindi lyrics go like this: Rasa sayang re, Rasa sayang sayang re, Hey, pyar ka hee nam? (Hey, is this called love?), Rasa sayang sayang re.

Unlike patented inventions and copyrighted contemporary music, it is not easy to determine the ownership of traditional songs that are common to the cultures of a region, just as it is not easy to claim ownership of cultural heritages that have been adapted or assimilated from the influences of more dominant civilisations.

For example, would it be fair to argue that many aspects of Indonesia’s heritage – like its ever-present symbol of Garuda, the imposing statues of Ganesha or Bhima which stand outside buildings, or the majestic sculpture of horses pulling Arjuna’s chariot in the middle of Jakarta – belong to Hinduism and India?

Just how would Indonesians feel if they were accused of “stealing” from India’s much richer cultural heritage?

The extent of Malaysia-bashing in the Indonesian media is rather mind-boggling. Whether or not the Indonesian media or its politicians realise it, Malaysians have always regarded Indonesians as their close friends and neighbours.

We have always loved their music and appreciated their composers and singers, whether or not they have embraced ours – besides P. Ramlee in the past and Siti Nurhaliza now.

Peter Pan, Dewa, Samsons, Ruth Sahanaya and Anggun are household names in Malaysia today, just as D’lloyds, The Mercy’s, Broery Marantika, Bob Tutupoly, Hetty Koes Endang and Diana Nasution were for my generation.

Indonesians already make up the largest number of foreigners in Malaysia, far exceeding the population of the Indian community and other minorities. There are now some two million Indonesians working in the various sectors. As for the number of those who are in the country illegally, it is anybody’s guess.

It may not sound polite to mention this but whenever Indonesia faces any calamity, Malaysians are usually among the first to empathise and extend help.

Indonesians might also want to note that Malaysians don’t raise a hue and cry, or resort to demonstrations or flag-burning, when faced annually with hazardous haze from the burning of forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

So, the message to all the bapak-bapak and ibu-ibu out there is: Let’s bring rasa sayang back into our relationship instead of arguing over whether the song is yours or mine.

You can be rest assured that Malaysians will never claim ownership to Benci Tapi Rindu (Hate but still miss).

M. Veera Pandiyan, Deputy Editor, New Media, is a great admirer of the late A. Riyanto, one of Indonesia’s greatest composers and musicians.

http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2007/10/11/columnists/alongthewatchtower/19127131&sec=Along%20The%20Watchtower

Menurut Ketua DPR Agung Laksono, masyarakat tidak perlu berlebihan menyikapi arogansi Malaysia. Tidak perlu, misalnya, mendengungkan lagi jargon Ganyang Malaysia yang dipopulerkan Soekarno pada 1963. “Dampak negatifnya hanya akan merugikan kedua negara,” katanya dalam paripurna penutupan masa sidang I tahun sidang 2007-2008 di Gedung DPR kemarin (10/10).

“Ganyang itu kan perang. Apakah perlu sampai sejauh itu?” ujarnya.

He said the Indonesian diplomat’s wife was not detained but was asked to wait until the authorities could verify her credentials.

“It just took them time to verify her documents. The report that she was detained is not right,” he told reporters after chairing the Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers here yesterday.

It was reported earlier that the Indonesian Embassy had issued two separate statements on the detention and ill-treatment of two Indonesians, including Muslianah Nurdin, an attaché’s wife, at Chow Kit Road and a student Muhammad Yunus Lubis in Kajang.

In a press statement, Rela director-general Datuk Zaidon Asmuni refuted claims that his officers had ill-treated the two.

In the Oct 6 operation with the Dang Wangi district police at Chow Kit Road, he said Rela officers saw two Indonesians acting suspiciously and took them to a police station to check their credentials.

He said that while Muslianah produced an identification card issued by Wisma Putra, the other woman did not have any documents on her.

“After investigation, we found out that she was the wife of the Indonesian embassy’s Education and Culture attaché and released her to her son who produced other credentials,” he said, adding that the other woman was sent to the Pudu Prison.

In the Oct 7 operation in Kajang, Zaidon said Muhammad Yunus had opened the door to his house and the officers had no need to use any force as claimed by the embassy.

Meanwhile, Indonesian legislators have called for diplomatic action against Malaysia over the alleged incident, Reuters reported.

“Things like this happen again and again. If we stay silent they will think we Indonesians are stupid,” said Yusron Ihza Mahendra, deputy chairman of a parliament commission on foreign affairs, referring to the treatment of Indonesians.

Solo (ANTARA News)- Departemen Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata mengumpulkan bukti-bukti otentik tentang lagu Rasa Sayange yang pertama kali direkam di Lokananta, SOlo, Jawa Tengah (Jateng), yang saat ini juga digunakan Malaysia untuk promosi pariwisatanya.

Salah satu upaya yang dilakukan adalah dengan mendatangi perusahaan rekaman Lokananta di Solo yang masih menyimpan bukti-bukti tersebut, kata Kepala Bidang (Kabid) Informasi dan Publikasi Departemen Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata, Jordi Paliama, pada wartawan di Solo, Selasa.

Salah satu bukti kuat bahwa lagu itu merupakan milik Indonesia adalah adanya piringan hitam yang berisi lagu-lagu tersebut yang pertama kali direkam di perusahaan rekaman Lokananta di Solo.

Bahkan, Lokananta juga masih menyimpan pita “reel” atau rekaman suara sebelum akhirnya dicetak menjadi piringan hitam yang direkam tahun 1962.

“Kedatangan kita ke sini untuk mencari bukti autentik bahwa lagu itu miliki Indonesia. Hal ini juga menunjukkan sikap pemerintah terkait penggunaan lagu Rasa Sayange oleh Malaysia,” katanya.

Lokananta saat ini masih menyimpan sebanyak tujuh piringan hitam berisi lagu Rasa Sayange. Lagu itu direkam dan diperbanyak hingga 100 piringan hitam dan dijadikan cindera mata saat Asian Games IV.

Menurut Jordi, dengan adanya rekaman lagu yang pertama kali dibuat itu, maka hal ini menjadi bukti kuat bahwa Malaysia memang mencontek lagu Rasa Sayange.

“Kami juga sudah melakukan kontak dengan publik Maluku dan pengarang lagu derat seniman Maluku untuk menbuktikan bahwa lagu itu dari Maluku. Dan, menurut publik Maluku, lagu itu sudah dinyanyikan sejak tahun ’20-an oleh warga Maluku,” jelasnya.

Pada tahun 1951, lagu itu juga sudah dinyanyikan dihadapan Presiden RI saat itu, Soekarno, saat meresmikan pembangunan Gereja Maranata di Maluku, dan saat tersebut Malaysia belum merdeka.

Jordi mengemukakan, meskipun pihaknya memiliki bukti otentik berupa rekaman asli, tetapi pihaknya mengakui bahwa bukti itu masih belum kuat, pasalnya lagu tersebut tidak diketahui siapa yang menciptanya dan hanya mencantumkan NN (No Name) dalam nama pencipta.

“Tetapi, menurut James F. Sundah, jika ada perselisihan di antara dua negara mengenai klaim sebuah lagu, maka negara yang menang adalah mereka yang memiliki rekaman lagu itu pertama kali dibuat. Kita patut bersyukur, sebab di Lokananta masih menyimpan rekaman lagu ini yang dibuat tahun 1962,” ujarnya.

James F. Sundah yang dimaksudnya adalah pencipta lagu dan penyanyi senior di Indonesia, dan selama ini banyak berkecimpung dalam kegiatan hak cipta musik nasional. Ia juga pencipta lagu Lilin-lilin Kecil, yang terkenal melalui lantunan suara Chrisye (kini almarhum).

Selain mencari bukti di Lokananta, pihak Departemen Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata juga mengumpulkan bukti-bukti dari Minoru Endo Music Fundation di Jepang. Diharapkan di Minoru Endo dapat ditemukan kumpulan lagu-lagu asli Indonesia yang diserahkan kepada mereka dari Indonesia untuk dibuat buku berisikan lagu-lagu dari berbagai negara.

“Mungkin lagu itu masuk dalam daftar yang kita serahkan kepada mereka, dan karena keterbatasan kuota, maka hanya ada 20 lagu saja yang dicantumkan sebagai lagu asli dari Indonesia tanpa mencantumkan lagu Rasa Sayange di dalamnya,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Kepala Cabang Perum Percetakan Negara Lokananta Solo, Ruktiningsih, mengatakan bahwa piringan hitam berisi lagu-lagu daerah termasuk Rasa Sayange direkam di Lokananta pada tanggal 15 Agustus 1962, dan diperbanyak hingga 100 keping piringan hitam. Hal ini dilakukan atas perintah dari Presiden Soekarno kepada Menteri Penerangan waktu itu, R. Maladi.

“Saat ini kami masih punya tujuh keping piringan hitam berisi lagu itu,” ujarnya menambahkan. (*)

Copyright © 2007 ANTARA

Liputan6.com, Kajang: Kebrutalan pasukan Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia atau RELA tidak hanya menimpa istri atase pendidikan Indonesia. Pasukan gabungan warga sipil Malaysia ini merusak tempat tinggal seorang mahasiswa Indonesia di daerah Kajang sekitar 25 kilometer dari Kuala Lumpur.

Rumah itu adalah tempat tinggal Muhammad Yunus. Yunus yang sedang menempuh pendidikan S2 merupakan Ketua Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia di Universitas Kebangsaan Malaysia. Menurut Yunus kepada SCTV, belum lama berselang, pasukan RELA datang ke kediamannya Ahad silam. Karena pintu rumah terkunci rapat, mereka mendobrak pintu rumah hingga rusak. Setelah yakin Yunus dan istrinya bukan pendatang gelap mereka pergi tanpa mau bertanggungjawab atas kerusakan.

Pasukan RELA bernaung di bawah Departemen Dalam Negeri Malaysia dan di bawah kendali Perdana Menteri Malaysia. Jika berhasil menangkap pendatang asing ilegal mereka akan mendapat uang bonus 80 ringgit per kepala atau setara dengan Rp 200 ribu.

Dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, tindakan pasukan RELA khususnya terhadap warga negara Indonesia dinilai kasar, tidak beretika, dan merendahkan martabat. Bahkan, istri atase pendidikan Kedutaan Besar Republik Indonesia di Kuala Lumpuristri, Muslinah Nurdin dicurigai sebagai tenaga kerja ilegal ketika sedang berbelanja. “Kejadian seperti banyak menimpa WNI,” kata Imran Hanafi, atase pendidikan KBRI [baca: Indonesia Kirim Nota Protes ke Malaysia].

Duta Besar Malaysia untuk Indonesia Dato Zainal Abidin Zain mengakui, insiden yang menimpa istri diplomat Indonesia merupakan kesalahan pasukan RELA dan aparat Malaysia. “Ini satu kesalahan. Saya meminta maaf atas kejadian ini,” kata Dato.

Beberapa waktu silam, warga Indonesia berunjuk rasa ke Gedung Kedutaan Malaysia di Jakarta. Massa memprotes kasus pemukulan wasit karate Indonesia, Donald Colopita, oleh polisi Diraja Malaysia. Namun, protes keras seperti ini akan jadi sia-sia jika pemerintah Indonesia tidak juga bersikap tegas terhadap Malaysia.

DPR mendesak pemerintah mengeluarkan travel warning secara resmi. Dengan peringatan ini diharapkan warga Indonesia berpikir dua kali apabila ingin berangkat ke Malaysia. Namun, pemerintah hingga kini belum berniat mengeluarkan travel warning.

Menurut Kristiarto Legowo, juru bicara Departemen Luar Negeri, keputusan untuk berkunjung atau tidak ke Malaysia diserahkan kepada warga. Mereka juga mengetahui setelah melihat rentetan kejadian, keamanan dan kenyamanan perjalanan ke negara itu tidak terjamin.(IAN/Tim Liputan 6 SCTV)