ECONOMIC WAR ON S.A.

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29251, 8 July 1960, Page 13

ECONOMIC WAR ON S.A.

Malaya Boycotts Goods KUALA LUMPUR, July 6. .Tunku Abdul Rahman, Prime Minister of Malaya, announced tonight that Malaya would not allow the import of any goods of South African origin into the country from August 1. Speaking at a news conference, the Tunku said the decision was cabled today to all British Commonwealth Prime Ministers. He described it as a "declaration of economic war." The Tunku said: "We are prepared to violate G.A.T.T. (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). We are prepared to be kicked out of G.A.T.T. “The Government has felt impelled to adopt this course to view of South Africa’s policy towards its own negro and coloured people and the insuperable barrier which this policy places in the way of normal relations between South Africa and other African and Asian nations,” he said. “The Government Intends to maintain this stand until such time as the South African Government gives it sufficient indication of its sincere intention to tackle this problem in a humane way.”