Indonesia's Frustration

The recent vigilante group to 'sweep' Malaysians off the street of Jakarta is an indication of how frustrated Indonesians are with Malaysia. In my opinion, this is a result of a long pent-up feeling which escalated all the way from the day Bali was bombed. The effect of the bombing had crippled the tiny island's economy almost overnight as Bali depends heavily on tourism to keep its economy afloat.

Within days, investigators managed to piece together the evidence and linked it with a terrorism group which was lead by a Malaysian leader Dr. Azhari. Dr. Azhari was somehow shot dead by Indonesian police during a siege.

Just as Indonesia was recoiling from the incident, Indonesia was again shocked by another bombing. This time it happened right in the capital of Indonesia - Jakarta. Again Indonesian authority found a link to a terrorism group lead by Dr. Azhari's protege Nordin Mat Top also a Malaysian-born.

Most recently Malaysia was accused by Indonesia of hijacking Indonesia's traditional dance by showcasing it in its tourism promotional campaign. This is a double-blow to Indonesian which already suffered from the previous incidents.

In both cases, Malaysia took a defensive action instead of engaging directly with Indonesia to resolve the issue. When Malaysia finally relented to bring the matter to the discussion table, it was a little too late. Angry protesters took to the street and burnt Malaysia's flag as a sign of disgust.

What will happen next? Let's wait and see.