S’pore’s bargaining power: DCA

Indonesia’s strategic location between the Pacific and Indian oceans and position as the largest archipelagic country on the globe, stretching as far as the western coast of the United States up to Bermuda in the eastern coast really needs a strong armed forces. Indonesia, in order to strengthen its defense capability, needs to cooperate with other countries.

Establishing a defense cooperation and holding military exercises with other countries such as the United States, Australia or Malaysia will not matter for people of this country. But with a tiny island state like Singapore, such cooperation raises controversy because of several factors.

First, Singapore does not have sufficient space, be it in land, air and sea even though its military hard and software are relatively more sophisticated than Indonesia’s.

Second, as one of strategic business hubs in Asia and the world, its economic life lines or channels that mostly pass through the Malacca strait and South China sea need to be secured.

Third, Indonesia’s weaker position (as this country is badly in need of billions of dollars which have been stashed in Singapore by Indonesian black businessmen during the country’s 1997-1998 monetary crisis) that can be utilized for the sake of Singapore’s benefit.

Therefore, Indonesia’s intentions to get the money back through an extradition treaty with Singapore that should be attached to the defense agreement (DCA), in the eyes of many lawmakers and observers was detrimental to the country’s territorial integrity.

What matters most in the DCA is among other things that Singapore is entitled to hold military exercises with a third party without Indonesia. If such trainings do take place in Indonesian waters and air space, how vulnerable then will Indonesia’s position be?

In the words of a member of the Ad-hoc Committee IV of Regional Representative Council, Admiral (ret.) Benyamin Bura, the provision of several regions for military training gives more benefits to Singapore than Indonesia, and if such trainings do take place, Singapore then can precisely understand the “heart” of Indonesia (Republika, June 30).

In the meantime, the extradition treaty according to lawmakers and observers would also produce nothing because once the House of Representatives ratifies it, the black businessmen will move out of Singapore together with their stolen money. Singapore’s strategy, however, shows how strong the bargaining power of this tiny island state is.

M. RUSDI
Jakarta