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While Prime Minister Lawrence Wong secured major defense wins in Jakarta, his failure to deliver on a long-awaited extradition leaves a lingering shadow over Singapore-Indonesia relations.
Under investigation: Sandipala Arthaputra president director Paulus Tannos (on the screen) gives a testimony on May 18 during the e-ID hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court. (Antara/Rosa Panggabean)
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was perhaps unfamiliar with the colloquial Indonesian greeting reserved for visiting old friends: “Mana oleh-olehnya?”- where is the gift?When Wong met with President Prabowo Subianto for their annual bilateral summit in Jakarta on July 6, he missed a crucial diplomatic moment.
The repatriation of corruption fugitive Paulus Tannos - an Indonesian citizen and Singapore permanent resident - either immediately before or during the state visit, would have been a significant political triumph for the President and a powerful gesture to the nation. Yet, according to public documents, the issue was omitted from the leaders' formal agenda.
