MALAYSIA ACCORD S.E.A.T.O.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29684, 30 November 1961, Page 19

MALAYSIA ACCORD S.E.A.T.O.

To Use Base (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, Nov. 28. The Secretary for Commonwealth Relations (Mr Sandys) said today that the recent British-Malayan agreement on Malaysia did not exclude the use of the Singapore Base to discharge Britain’s obligations to the South-east Asia Treaty Organisation. He was replying to persistent questioning by Labour in the House of Commons on the conditions for use of the Singapore base after the Malaysian Federation of Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei had been formed. Labour’s colonial spokesman, Mr James Callaghan, asked: “Is it the case that in Malaya we cannot move British troops for a particular purpose without the consent of the Tunku, but that in Singapore, we shall be free to use British troops with or without the Tunku's consent? Is this not an impossible situation?” Mr Sandys said: "I think the problem you have in mind is really the use of the Singapore base in support of our obligations to S.E.A.T.O. —that is the crux of the thing. “The agreement would permit us to use the Singapore base to assist in the defence of Malaysia and for the preservation of peace in Southeast Asia,” he said. “That obviously does not exclude the use of the base to discharge our .obligations to S.E.A.T.O. which exists for the precise purpose of preserving peace in South-east “If we are to play our full part in preserving peace in South-East Asia, we must be free to use our forces in that area in whatever way we consider most effective. “The base at Singapore is a British base and not a S.E.A.T.O. base, and we would naturally not be free to transfer control to any other nation or group of nations,” said Mr Sandys.