VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairman Zulkifli Hasan has lauded Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed’s commitment to supporting the sovereignty of the nation by seeking national economic growth.

"During the meeting between Mahathir and Indonesian officials and businessmen at the Grand Hyatt Hotel here, I admire Mahathir`s statement about how to make the national economy grow while maintaining national sovereignty," Zulkifli remarked on Friday.

Present at the meeting, organized by the Indonesia-Malaysia Business Council, were Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil, Manpower Minister Hanif Dakhiri, Zulkifli Hasan, and former Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Dai Bachtiar, among others.

At the meeting, Mohammed emphasized that the nation`s economic growth should prioritize national sovereignty.

Quoting Mohammed’‘s statement, the MPR chairman said that in this era of globalization, it is inevitable for every country to cooperate with other nations, especially in the fields of trade and investment.

However, Zulkifli noted that investment from other countries should not all be accepted, let alone look for potential investors.

"The foreign investment plan must be analyzed for its pros and con. If it is good, accept it, but if not, do not accept it," he remarked.

"If everything is accepted, our nation will become a coolie," he said.

According to Zulkifli, Mohammed also noted that a good policy is one that prioritizes the sovereignty of the nation. (ANTARA)