DPR Asks The Government To Respond To Mahathir's Statement On Riau Should Be Claimed By Malaysia

Mahathir Mohamad/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives responded to the statement of former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad who said that Malaysia should claim Singapore and the Riau Archipelago as part of the Malay Land. Because according to Mahathir, Singapore and Riau are part of the Malay Land which has historical relations with Malaysia.

Member of Commission I of the House of Representatives Dave Laksono asked the government to be wise in responding to Mahathir's statement, who is also an international figure and is close to Indonesia.

"Pak Mahathir is an international figure who is also a friend of Indonesia. We will respond calmly and wisely," said Dave, Wednesday, June 22.

Dave thinks that Mahathir may be reminiscing about the historical past related to the Riau Islands and Singapore.

"Mahathir is quite old, so maybe his statement is a bit nostalgic for the past," he said.

Moreover, according to Dave, Mahathir is no longer the Prime Minister (PM) of Malaysia, so his statement is not an official stance from the Malaysian government.

Nevertheless, the member of the foreign affairs commission emphasized that the territory of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) was final. Where, the Riau Archipelago is an area of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia that cannot be separated. It is a historical stage of the formation of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia," he said.