Top Minister Calls for Stronger Ties With Malaysia After Fatal Shooting of Indonesian Nationals
JAKARTA, investortrust.id – Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar, known as Cak Imin, has responded to the shooting of five Indonesian nationals by Malaysian authorities, calling the incident a critical lesson for both countries.
"This incident serves as an important lesson for both the Indonesian and Malaysian governments to strengthen cooperation and regulate interactive relations, both legal and illegal," he stated when met at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) in Jakarta on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.
The minister noted that President Prabowo Subianto’s recent visit to Malaysia laid the foundation for further discussions, which will be followed up by his ministry and other government agencies.
Cak Imin said he would immediately coordinate with Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Abdul Kadir Karding, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, and Indonesia’s Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono to find a solution, including addressing both legal and undocumented workers.
"For those legally working, we must improve their quality of life. For those undocumented, a solution must be found. Many of them assume crossing the border is routine because we are neighbors, but they must recognize that these are two separate countries," he explained.
The chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) expressed hope that such incidents would not happen again and urged the Malaysian government to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting of the five Indonesians.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Sugiono called for a comprehensive investigation into the shooting of five Indonesian migrant workers by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) in Tanjung Rhu, Selangor. The incident resulted in one fatality and left four others injured.
"The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pushing for a full investigation into the shooting carried out by APMM, including potential excessive use of force," Sugiono stated in a press release on Monday, January 27, 2025.
Sugiono expressed deep regret over the loss of an Indonesian life and extended condolences to the deceased’s family as well as to the injured victims.
According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, the ministry and the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur were actively handling the case. The embassy had received confirmation from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) that the deceased, identified as B from Riau Province, will be repatriated following the completion of an autopsy.
The embassy was managing all funeral procedures and facilitating the repatriation of the remains. Meanwhile, the four injured Indonesian nationals had received medical treatment and are reported to be in stable condition. The embassy had been granted consular access to meet them on Wednesday.
The shooting took place on January 24, 2025, at approximately 3:00 a.m. local time when APMM fired upon a vessel in the waters off Tanjung Rhu, Selangor. Authorities claim the shooting occurred after the vessel’s occupants allegedly resisted arrest. The incident left one Indonesian dead and four others injured.