MALAYSIA TALKS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30146, 1 June 1963, Page 11

MALAYSIA TALKS

Officials Hopeful

‘NJ!. Press Assn.—Copyright) LONDON. May 30 The positions taken by Malaya and Indonesia over the proposed Malaysia Federation on the surface leave little room for compromise, hot some officials of the two ' countries have expressed confidence that the meeting of the two countries' leaders in Tokyo today will ease tension.

Malayan officials said conditions laid down by Preoi- ' dent Soekarno of Indonesia were completely unacceptable. but they indicated that Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaya, felt the President had a genuine desire to reach an agreement, the British United Press reported. Malayan officials said the Tunku went to the meeting with an open mind, a little

optimism and a firm determination not to alter his plan for setting up the federation on August 31.

President Soekarno’s intentions and hopes were less clear, Indonesian officials Mid he sincerely wanted to work cut a peaceful solution to the problem. The Associated Press said the two men were bitterly divided over the formation of Malaysia but at- the meeting they could thresh out their differences.

Malaysia would unite Malaya,* Singapore and the British Borneo territories.

The Tunku is the driving force behind the plan. Dr. Soekarno has termed the scheme “the maintenance of colonialism in South-east Asia and a threat to Indonesia.”

The "Manila Times,” in a dispatch from Tokyo, today reported that Indonesian officials were highly optimistic that the Tunku would change his mind #id postpone the formation of Malaysia.