THE long-standing friendship between Malaysia and Indonesia is considerably stronger than the problems that occasionally develop between the two nations, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan said.

The Indonesian presidential candidate from the Coalition for Unity of Change views the problems that arise as part of the neighbourly way of life and believes they will be resolved in a friendly atmosphere.

“We will continue to be neighbours forever, so every time there is an issue, we discuss it openly,” he said a dinner organised by the Jamiatul Khairiah Selangor and Federal Territory Welfare Organisation last night.

Anies expressed these views when asked about his views on the current Malaysia-Indonesia relationship in light of ongoing issues such as the transboundary smog and Indonesian migrant workers.

He is in Malaysia to deliver a lecture at the International Institute of Islamic Civilisation and Malay World International Islamic University Malaysia today.

Anies said in his meeting with the Indonesian community in Malaysia yesterday, they expressed aspirations for both countries’ policies regarding migrant workers to be aligned.

“Much of the discussion was about migrant workers, and that’s what needs to be discussed together, not just workers but also their children, so that they have equal opportunities and a bright future,” he said.

When asked about Indonesia’s relations with China and the United States, Anies says Indonesia needs to maintain a balance in its relationships with both major powers in line with Asean’s approach.

“We need to maintain foreign policies based on values (value-based foreign policy), not transactional foreign policy, so we can convey that we want national sovereignty.

“So when there are actions (by external parties) that undermine sovereignty, we should stand up,” he said.

On September 2, Anies and Muhaimin Iskandar were each declared presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2024-2029 Indonesian presidential election.

Anies joins the list of other presidential candidates that include Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto. – AFP, October 11, 2023.