SHAH ALAM, Sept 2 — The riots in Indonesia will affect Malaysia’s economy and trade if they last.
This is as Malaysia depends on the republic’s products including food, clothes, and other essential goods, said Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) senior international relations lecturer Amer Fawwaz Mohamad Yasid.
He added that Malaysia also exports products and raw materials such as electrical goods to Indonesia, which drives national economic growth.
“If riots occur over a month or two, it won’t have any effect, but if they continue up to a year or two, it will automatically impact the economy and society.
“If the Indonesian administration doesn’t handle the situation, it will lead to a significant issue in the days to come, as well as affect industry and trade between Indonesia and Malaysia,” he told Media Selangor.
Amer Fawwaz said that even though Malaysia is this year’s Asean chair, it could be inappropriate for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to become the middleman to settle the tensions, as the riots stem from Indonesia’s internal conflicts and have brought to light several scandals that have implicated their top leaders and enraged the people.
“This crisis is different from the Cambodia-Thailand conflict. That one involved regional politics. This one is due to domestic issues, Indonesia’s internal politics.
“We are bound to the Asean deal where every country must respect the political system or agenda of a nation. Our intention may be good, but it could be misconstrued as interference in their internal matters,” he said.
Amer Fawwaz said country leaders must learn from the incident and ensure their people’s safety and well-being.
“In a political context, internal stability is important. Politicians, ministers must be transparent and avoid any kind of scandal due to leakages, bribery, and abuse of power, as well as economic uncertainty. They must look at the fairness of policies. Countries would want to increase their fiscal (power), expenses, or allowances, but must consider economic suitability,” he added.
