"Singapore was indeed outrageous as it does not know that Usman and Harun were Indonesian national heroes," Vice Chairman of the People`s Consultative Assembly Hajriyanto Y Tohari said.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vice Chairman of the Peoples Consultative Assembly Hajriyanto Y Tohari stated that Indonesia does not have to acknowledge Singapores protest over the controversial name of Indonesian Naval Ship, KRI Usman-Harun.
"Singapore was indeed outrageous as it does not know that Usman and Harun were Indonesian national heroes," Hajriyanto noted in a short message on Friday.
Hajriyanto considered Singapore to have been excessive and callous about the two mariners who were executed in 1968. According to him, as conscious neighbors of Indonesia, Singapore should not have meted out the punishment.
"And now, Singapore has protested over the naming of KRI Usman-Harun," he retorted.
Previously, the Singapore government expressed their concern over the naming of the new Indonesian Naval warship, KRI Usman-Harun.
The warship was named after the two Indonesian national heroes, Usman Haji Mohamad Ali and Harun Said. Both the mariners were allegedly involved in the bombing of the MacDonald House in Orchard Road, Singapore, on March 10, 1965, killing three persons and injuring 33 people.
At the time, Indonesia was confronted with the Federation of Malaysia, which had planned to merge Malaysia, Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak in the Federation. The then President Sukarno argued that the plan will make Malaysia into a British puppet state that could potentially threaten the sovereignty of Indonesia.
Regarding the naming of KRI Usman-Harun, the Indonesian government declared that it was appropriate. The government has insisted that no country should intervene with Indonesia's decision to honor any person as hero.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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