Indonesia, Malaysia to Ask ASEAN to Rebuff Spying

Indonesia and Malaysia on Thursday agreed to reject spying and encourage fellow countries in the region to do so, following the wiretapping done by Australia against Indonesia which has worsened bilateral ties.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak at the State Palace, agreeing to raise the issue at ASEAN summit in Myanmar next year, Xinhua reported.

“We agreed to urge ASEAN countries to unite in saying no to spying activities,” Yudhoyono said in a joint statement after the meeting.

“Mutual trust and mutual respect are important in international relationship. We hope that during the ASEAN summit, a deal can be reached among ASEAN countries to reject spying activities,” he said.

Similarly, Najib said that Malaysia supported Indonesia’s stance against wiretapping and its proposal.

“I agreed with the president to give more attention to the spying issue during the next ASEAN summit. Malaysia will strongly support the proposal by Indonesia for an agreement on the issue,” he said.

The wiretapping carried out by Australia on President Yudhoyono and his inner circle has angered Indonesia which retaliated with suspension of all military cooperation and joint effort in combating people smuggling, a politically sensitive issue in Australia.