KUALA LUMPUR: The new Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has chosen Indonesia as the destination of his first official foreign visit. He blithely proclaimed that Indonesia held a very special place in his heart. The bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia may be said to be a unique one, and has seen its ups and downs over the years. Both countries share similar cultures and languages, but their modern history diverged slightly, though converging from time to time.
Indonesia's founding father, Sukarno, was a charismatic figure. Together with other revolutionary figures, he led Indonesia to independence not long after the conclusion of the Second World War. It was said that the rhetoric he employed during both his public speeches and private conversations could mesmerize his audience and interlocutors in turn. Under his leadership, Indonesia tried to play a leading role among the developing countries at the time, with the 1954 Afro-Asia Conference in Bandung as perhaps the pinnacle of this effort, having enunciated the Bandung Principles of mutual non-interference in diplomatic dealings.
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