[3] Still in his twenties, he helped to negotiate an inter-governmental agreement whereby new Australian graduates could volunteer for service as Indonesian public servants.
He re-oriented from academic scholarship to more activist work, but continued teaching and research, taking early retirement from Monash in 1990.
[9] In Melbourne he assisted Indonesian asylum seekers who faced persecution under the Suharto regime, and was active in a range of campaigns.
[10][11] Although relationships with some nationalist contacts became difficult, he supported West Papuan independence and assisted at the violent elections in East Timor in 1999.
He was "a staunch defender of the right to self-determination of the East Timorese people; but rather than adopting a confrontational approach, he would offer face-saving solutions that would allow Indonesia to withdraw with dignity".
[12] The Herb Feith Foundation was established after his death to undertake a number of activities in the fields of education and publishing related to Indonesia and East Timor.