"Indonesia and Malaysia have grown closer with the participation of the media. This relationship needs to be maintained, by mainly Bernama and ANTARA, as both the official news agencies of the two countries," Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara stated during the Malaysia-Indonesia Media Night here on Friday evening.
Friendship and the role of media in both countries are considered effective to help address the highs and lows in the relationship between both nations, triggered by some sensitive issues that tend to potentially create tensions in the bilateral relations.
Issues ranging from cultural claims to the insult faced by Indonesian migrant workers have affected the harmony of two allied nations.
Hence, strong media cooperation at the governmental level is required to pacify any tensions, which are sometimes unavoidable.
"Good relationship, intensive communication, and mutual respect must continue to be carried out in order to offer additional value to both countries," Rudiantara noted.
Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Zahrain Mohamed Hashim believes the role of the mainstream media is increasingly important, as currently there are several fake news circulating on social media.
"Media control is quite difficult, as fake news is now being circulated on social media. However, I hope that the media of both countries can face such a challenge," he emphasized.
News coverage and reporting activities by the media have also helped to strengthen the relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.
"The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta is the first one we had opened after gaining independence in 1957. We are brothers and allied countries, and with such close ties, we share the same responsibility to ensure that the relations between Malaysia and Indonesia will always remain sound," Hashim noted.
The Malaysia-Indonesia Media Night is an annual program organized by the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta since 2016, with the aim of acknowledging the work of Indonesian journalists.
Supported by the Indonesian national news agency ANTARA and its Malaysian counterpart, Bernama, this years program was also held to commemorate six decades of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Malaysia.
As part of the program, two awards were bestowed on senior journalist of ANTARA Muhammad Saiful Hadi Chalid and Indonesian press figure late Tarman Azzam for their significant contributions in the field of journalism as well as the development of relations between the two Southeast Asian countries.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
