MALAYSIA PACT

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30178, 9 July 1963, Page 13

MALAYSIA PACT

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

LONDON, July 8,

Some questions on the proposed Malaysia Federation are still to be discussed today but they are not expected to delay signing of an agreement tonight, according to Malayan, Singapore and British Ministers after a sixhours meeting which ended early this morning.

Malaya's Deputy - Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, said some questions concerning Brunei still had to be settled. Asked whether this would hold up the initialling of the Malaysia Agreement, he said: “No.-

Singapore’s Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, said a Malaysia Agreement was expected to be signed either this evening or tomorrow. Conference sources said that one of the questions still outstanding was the transfer to the Singapore Government of land occupied by the British War Office in Singapore.

The sources said that all the main problems at the 10-day-old negotiations had been settled and only a few minor issues remained. These were not expected to hold up the initialling of an agreement Malaya’s Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, arrived In London by air yesterday to sign an agreement to set up Malaysia, which is due to come into being on August 31.

The State of Brunei announced last evening it was not ready to sign the Malaysia Agreement. Brunei recently refused to accept what it called Malaya's “final terms.”

The issue between Brunei and Malaya involves the disposition of. the State’s oil wealth, taxation, and social welfare benefits. However, the spokesman said Brunei was definitely “making good progress” in solving the issues.