Anti-Malaysia Rally Disrupts CIMB Niaga Operations in Makassar

Jakarta. Members of the Red and White Troops (Laskar Merah Putih) entered a branch of CIMB Niaga bank in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Monday and demanded employees stop working.

The demonstrators came on dozens of motorbikes and a pick-up car to the bank branch located at Jalan Ahmad Yani, news portal Detik.com reported.

Several police officers and the bank's security officers tried to stop them from getting into the bank to no avail as they were heavily outnumbered.

The mob forced the bank's employees to stop working and leave the office.

The employees were told to declare their love for Indonesia. The bank's director for the East Indonesia region, Rahmat Haris, represented the employees and succumbed to the declaration demand, while the employees sat in the parking lot.

CIMB Niaga is partly owned by a Malaysian bank and diplomatic relationships between Indonesia and Malaysia have been strained in recent weeks after border disputes and demonstrations made the headlines.

There were no damages or injuries during the rally but the bank's activities were hampered.

After they finished the demonstration at CIMB Niaga, the crowd went to a branch of Bank International Indonesia, or BII, at Jalan Kajaolalido and repeated their actions.

They then continued their rally in front of the Malaysian Consulate building.

30/8/10