‘Major Hurdles In Way Of Malaysia’

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29891, 3 August 1962, Page 9

‘Major Hurdles In Way Of Malaysia ’

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright)

LONDON, August 2.

At least four major political hurdles had to be negotiated before the way would be clear for “putting out the flags” for Malaysia on August 31, 1963, the “Guardian” reported today. In a report by its Commonwealth correspondent, the newspaper said optimistic statements by the Malayan Prime Minister (Tunku Abdul Rahman) and the British Colonial Secretary (Mr Sandys) did not go into detail about the problems. But they were real enough.

In talks in London, agreei ment has been reached in principle on the merger of Malaya. Singapore, Brunei. North Borneo, and Sarawak into the new nation of Malaysia. which will have a population of 10.000.000 The target date for formal ’establishment of the nation i is the end of August next i year. “The Guardian" listed the four major obstacles to federation as: The Singapore Prime Minister (Lee Kuan Yew) has to take the London “package deal” to his local electorate and win its approval in a referendum to be held in a few weeks. The Sultan of Brunei—he and his Government are independent of British supervision—has to be convinced that the Landon agreement will meet his needs. Firm agreement has yet to be reached between Britain and Malaya of constitutional safeguards for Sarawak and North Borneo. An “inter-governmental committee” must produce an agreed report as the basis for a final Malaysia conference six months hence The “Guardian,” said in an editorial: “Opponents of the scheme, particularly in the Left-wing parties in Singapore, will certainly say that its main purpose is to submerge under reactionary and Islamic numbers, the pro-Comin uniat Chinese of Singapore. “There is clearly something in this. If Mr Lee Kuan Yew was not so hSrd pressed by the Left in Singapore, Tunku Abdul Rahman might not be in such a hurry to bring in the Borneo territories as a makeweight, or so ready to concede to them transitional arrangements for administration, which may be found rather galling to the federal Government.” Avoiding Friction “The Times” in an editorial today welcomed the agreement for the creation of a federation of Malaysia as a means of avoiding friction in the area. The newspaper said it would “bring into a federation with an existing independent Malaya four other territories whose separate independent sttaus. however justifiable in principle, could only promise friction in the future.’’ It said: “In Malaya's wish to bring about this federation there is nevertheless a

sharp glint of political necessity piercing the surface arguments of ethnic and cultural affinity or of future economic advantage. "The fact is that Singapore has to be brought into association with Malaya somehow and the addition of the Borneo territories provides the right balance, as well as the most acceptable way of releasing them from colonial status. The new nation of Malaysia will stand with the Western world and not with the Communist bloc, Tunku Abdul Rahman said last night. He told a press conference that Malaysia would be nonCommunist. He said: “Malaysia will follow the same line of political thinking as Malaya." Malaya is anti-Communist and has a defence agreement with Britain under which Commonwealth forces are

stationed there, but it does not belong to any Western defence pact, such as the South - East Asia Treaty Organisation. The Tunku said a BritishMalayan committee would leave soon for North Borneo and Sarawak to work out future constitutional arrangements and the form of necessary safeguards for their planned accession to Malaysia. U.N. Reaction In New York most United Nations delegates welcomed the announcement of the new federation in the expectation that it would bolster stability in South-East Asia. The United Nations was not expected to throw up any obstacles by heeding demands that it intervene in the forthcoming Singapore referendum to decide the terms of the colony's unification with Malaya.