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Both DPM Najib Abdul Razak and Rela director-general Zaidon Asmuni denouncd reports alleging that the wife of an Indonesian diplomat was detained by Rela members during an operation here three days ago as being not true.

Najib said: "She was never detained. It is just that the authorities had to take some time to verify her travel documents."

Zaidon said no action would be taken against the Rela members who, according to him, had acted within the law and were carrying out their duty to assist the Police in an operation in Chow Kit from noon to 4pm last Wednesday.

'Indonesians are angry'

However, Indonesian officials had rejected the claims by Najib and Zaidon, and the diplomatic spat between the two neighbours had deepened, AFP reported today.

The Indonesian embassy insisted that Nurdin was taken into custody. Quote:

"Holding a person is detaining (the individual). She was held together with other migrants by the side of a street for up to two hours," said Eka Suripto, first secretary at the Indonesian embassy.

Suripto said the woman was released only after her daughter brought her passport. Muslianah had earlier presented a diplomatic identification card that the RELA officers did not recognise.

"We wish such incidents do not happen again. It is not acceptable," he said.

On the other hand, anger on the Indonesian side was raised a notch higher when Yusron Ihza Mahendra, deputy chairman of a parliament commission on foreign affairs, referred to the treatment of Indonesians in Malaysia. Quote from Reuters:

"Things like these happen again and again. If we stay silent they will think we Indonesians are stupid," said

"We must take strong action that sends a clear message that we are angry," Mahendra told Elshinta radio, suggesting that the government warn Indonesians against travelling to Malaysia.

Meanwhile, chairman of parliament's foreign affairs and defence commission, Theo Sambuaga, said ties between the two countries were hurt because of Malaysian "arrogance" and urged the two countries' leaders to meet to sort out the problems.

"We ask Malaysia, its apparatus and the media, to stop denigrating Indonesians," he told Reuters, adding that the Malaysian media also helped paint a negative stereotype of Indonesians in Malaysia.

'Rasa sayang'

Just last week, there have been calls for a boycott of Malaysian products in Indonesia amid the dispute over the folk song, Rasa Sayang (Feeling of Love).

Indonesia argued that Malaysia has no right to use their country's heritage for its tourism promotion. But Malaysia rejected the claim, saying the song was from the Malay Archipelago which groups Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Rocky has a good account of the Rasa Sayang dispute -- here and here.

Mana maruah, gemilang Malaysia?