Former British ambassador intent to promote Indonesia in UK

Former British ambassador to Indonesia Moazzam Malik has expressed intent to promote Indonesia in the United Kingdom.

"I am interested in promoting Indonesia in Britain," Malik, arriving along with his wife and daughter to watch a show held at the Paul Webley Wing building in SOAS campus in London, stated on Saturday.

"I am longing for Indonesia," he remarked while recollecting Indonesian culinary delicacies, such as "lemper," a snack made of steamed glutinous rice with sliced chicken meat and wrapped in banana leaf, and "martabak manis," or sweet pancakes, during his assignment as British ambassador to Indonesia.

The UK can foster collaboration with Indonesia in several areas, especially when both nations celebrated seven decades of bilateral relations this year, he emphasized.

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Malik admitted to having once attended an IKON event before being appointed as British ambassador to Indonesia and studied Indonesian language with the management of Indonesian art within the UK’s cultural diversity (ARTi UK).

IKON is one of the platforms to portray Indonesian culture to the British community in London.

ARTI UK, established by Felia Gerda Nayoan-Siregar, is a non-profit institute aimed at promoting Indonesian culture in the UK through arts, gamelan, dance, music, film, and culinary arts.

Gado-Gado EnSambal, comprising artists from varied nations, including the UK, Slovenia, Iran, India, and Bulgaria, also enlivened the event.

"We are all happy. The important thing is we all can enjoy, although it is difficult to accommodate it since there are musicians playing various musical instruments," Boo Boo Sianturi, a member of the group, stated.

The contemporary Indonesian festival showcased a plethora of events, such as gamelan coaching, seminar on Indonesian history, introduction to puppetry by Byard Jones, and pencak silat or martial art course.

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Reporter: Zeynita Gibbons, Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution