MALAYA GIVEN U.N. SEAT

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28386, 19 September 1957, Page 13

MALAYA GIVEN U.N. SEAT

Warm Welcome By President

(Rec. 8 p.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 17. Malaya, the newest British Commonwealth nation, was today unanimously elected as the 82nd member of the United Nations General Assembly. After the Malayan delegation was seated, Sir Leslie Munro, New Zealand, the newly appointed president, said that on behalf of the Assembly, he had the “great honour, in sincerity and in friendship, to welcome to our membership the new state of the Federation of Malaya.

“It is very proper, on this happy occasion,” he said, “that I should recall the record of Malaya’s uninterrupted progress towards independence, the great responsibility and statesmanship exercised by the Malayan leaders, and the harmony and co-operation existing between Malaya and the United Kingdom, with whose guidance and help the new state

has taken its place in the community of nations.” Mr T. L. Macdonald, the New Zealand Minister of External Affairs, said he was confident that Malaya would bear with distinction the duties and responsibilities of membership in the United Nations. He paid tribute to Britain for the assistance and guidance it had given to Malaya in coming to independence. Mr G. Ahmed (Pakistan) said it was a great pleasure to welcome Malaya to the United Nations.