Indonesian General clarifies remarks on naming of warship

SINGAPORE — The chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) yesterday clarified the remarks he made in a television interview on Jakarta’s controversial move to name a warship after two Indonesian marines convicted of a terrorist act in Singapore in 1965.

TNI Commander-in-Chief General Moeldoko said that, in his interview with Channel NewsAsia (CNA) on Tuesday, he had not apologised to the Singapore Government for the naming of a warship after the Indonesian marines who bombed MacDonald House that year.

Instead, the apology had been for the fact that the decision to name the ship Usman Harun was final and would not be changed, said Gen Moeldoko at the President’s Office before a Cabinet meeting in Jakarta.

On Tuesday night, CNA aired an exclusive interview with the TNI chief, during which he touched on the relations between Singapore and Indonesia, among other issues.

He was asked by CNA Senior South-east Asia Correspondent Sujadi Siswo about the decision to name a warship Usman Harun after the marines and the ties between the two countries.

Gen Moeldoko said: “Once again, I apologise. We have no ill intent whatsoever to stir emotions; not at all. Second, relations between the two countries are on the mend. There have been communications among leaders — Singapore’s Chief of Defence and I have spoken.”

On Wednesday, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said he welcomed Gen Moeldoko’s comments, adding that the Singapore Armed Forces would resume bilateral cooperation with the TNI.

Following the airing of the interview, Gen Moeldoko posted a link to the CNA story on his Facebook page. There was, however, a mixed reaction. He was questioned by some Indonesians as to why he had apologised. These posts have since been removed from Gen Moeldoko’s Facebook page, said CNA.

The naming of the warship after Osman Mohammed Ali and Harun Said — the marines who carried out the MacDonald House bombing as part of former President Sukarno’s Konfrontasi campaign — had caused a diplomatic row between the two countries. The attack had killed three people and injured 33.

The row saw several Singapore Cabinet ministers expressing their concerns to their Jakarta counterparts. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had earlier assured Singapore that Jakarta meant no ill will or malice — a move that was welcomed by Singapore’s Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam.