Daily Lessons from Life 21 March 2014 - MFA disappointed over Indonesian marines posing as MacDonald House bombers at dialogue

MH370 Updates - Day 14: The suspected debris could not be found yet. The Australian authority objectively suggested they might have sunken. This is disheartening. So near and yet so far. Still, clinging to HOPE!

"MFA disappointed over Indonesian marines posing as MacDonald House bombers at dialogue - CNA 21 March 2014

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said it is concerned and disappointed over an incident where two Indonesian marines posed as the two Indonesian perpetrators of the MacDonald House bombing that killed three innocent civilians and injured another 33 in Singapore in March 1965.
The incident happened at the Jakarta International Defence Dialogue exhibition on March 19. Singapore had been invited as a guest to the exhibition.

On learning of the incident, the Singapore Armed Forces delegation at the exhibition withdrew from the event and returned to Singapore.
Singapore officials at the Embassy in Jakarta also spoke with representatives from the Indonesian Foreign Ministry and the Indonesian military to express disappointment over the incident.
MFA added that it is puzzled by comments from Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro. According to Indonesian media, Mr Yusgiantoro said there was "no problem" with the presence of the two marines at the exhibition.
MFA said the posing of the two marines at the exhibition did not reflect the spirit of Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa's comments made on February 11 this year that no ill-will or malice was intended toward Singapore."

Lessons for me are:

1. they can do what they like as long as there is no actual threats. The ship supposedly was displayed and they decided to station two marines with the 2 proclaimed national heroes in Indonesia but trial-ed and executed criminals in Singapore. It is their choice as the 2 fallen men were honoured as national heroes;

2. Singapore did the right thing to stick to our stand of not approving the naming of the ship after these 2 fallen marines. Insists that we do not welcome it to call on our ports when it gets delivered. We expressed our disappointment and confusion to our neigbhours at the appropriate level. These we must do. Then it is for them to do whatever they want to do, as long as no real threats are sounded;

3. in the meantime, life goes on. The HDB life upgrading not reaching some old estates with elderly folks is a real life changing challenge for many of them. Putin shrugging off the 'sanctions' and 'concerns expressed' at Russian annexation of Crimea goes on. And many other mundane and routine things go on. As long as Singapore is ready to 'punish' real threats and able to do it, even for a short period of time until the international laws is invoked, we are good.

The culture must be respected in respective country. However, a bit more flexibility is allowed for one culture to be respected in another country. As long as there is no real provocation of physical harms, let it be. :-) Can?