Frier's remarks were naturally prompted by Ernst. East Africa does not hope for the emergence of a superpower like past Indonesia in the South Sea Region.
In the past, Indonesia's territory was close to two million, with a population nearing three hundred million, controlling or influencing multiple key straits and routes worldwide, including the Malacca Strait, with almost no resource shortages; oil, coal, iron ore, copper ore, bauxite, all abundantly available.
Such a country with great power potential poses a significant threat to East Africa's control over the South Sea Region in the future.
Although East Africa has taken away the land of past Indonesia on Kalimantan Island, it is clearly not secure. Hence, Frier suggested to Prime Minister Kaiboer to separate both banks of the Sunda Strait from the East Indies Colony.
