It is most unfortunate that the Indonesian government has decided to name a warship after two marines who bombed a public building in Singapore, killing and wounding civilians.
In doing so, Indonesia has undermined itself.
While it has made progress and shown great commitment in fighting terrorism, it has lost moral ground by honouring the bombers.
It will be more challenging in future for Indonesia to debunk the notion of martyrdom, which has been used by terrorist groups to justify their acts.
Also, by merely "recording Singapore's concern" over the ship naming, Indonesia is in less of a position to criticise Singapore for being too "business-like" and for not displaying a neighbourly attitude towards neighbouring countries.
It is true that Indonesia has the right to name its warship without the interference of others. But its decision and the way it responded caused much grief to the families of the bombing victims.
Indonesia's actions have undermined all that it has done or stood for.
Leong Chun Keong
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