Tunku Ready To Face Consequences

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30219, 26 August 1963, Page 11

Tunku Ready To Face Consequences

(NZ.P.A -Reuter— Congnght) KUALA LUMPUR, August 25. Malaya is ready to “carry on with Malaysia, and face whatever may be the consequences,” the Prime Minister (Tunku Abdul Rahman) said today.

The Tunku was addressing a general meeting of his ruling United Malays’ National Organisation.

While he spoke, the British Commonwealth and Colonial Secretary (MrSandys) was conferring with Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the Prime Minister of Singapore.

proposed 30. A compromise has now been reached with four observers, and four clerical assistants. However, Mr Stephens, Mr Ningkan and Mr Lee are continuing to demand Malaysia. or something akin to independence, on August 31, and Sarawak is being harride by guerrillas Britain claims are based and trained in Indonesia. The Tunku said: “If the findings of the United Nations are not accepted because of the squabble over observers, we will have no alternative but to adhere to the terms of the agreement reached in Manila (at a meeting with the heads of the Indonesian and Philippines Governments) and carry on with Malaysia, and face whatever may be the consequences. “Many people have already derided me for making so much concession, and by lowering myself in the face of threats from our neighbours.”

"Having done all this. I can only pray to God that He will guide us to safety. Now I can do no more than that.

“I have done all that a person could humanly do without selling his honour, and above all his country's honour,” the Tunku said. “If trouble comes, then I will meet it.”

Before seeing Mr Lee, he talked with the Tunku, and the Chief Ministers of British North Borneo and Sarawak, Mr Donald Stephens and Mr Stephen Kalong Ningkain, and Mr Ningkan’s deputy, Mr James Wong. Officials of the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur said the situation was “fluid,” and there was “a fair chance that the talks will continue for a day or so.”

The Tunku said the attitude of Malaya's neighbours towards Malaysia first changed at the end of 1962. “It was first noticed when I was in India, where I condemned China for her aggressive action against India.

“It was noticed that the Communists throughout South-east Asia retaliated against me by attacking Malaysia, and started to place all sorts of obstacles in the way of this new nation,” he said.

Opposition from Indonesia and the Philippines has brought the Malaysia issue nearly to a crisis. Under pressure from these two countries. Malaya and Britain agreed to postpone Malaysia past the scheduled foundation date of August 31, and to have United Nations teams assess the feelings of the peoples of Borneo. Trouble flared when Indonesia refused to send observers to watch the teams at work because Britain wanted to restrict their numbers to four. The Indonesian Government is reported to have

At the same time, T e Tunku said, the Philippines had staked a claim to North Borneo "but I am confident that this claim of our friend can be amicably settled.”

“I could have been flrm if I had wanted to, but I knew that if the worst came to the worst, then it would not only be me that would suffer the agony of war, but millions of others would also be involved, and for the sake of these people I considered it worthwhile to sacrifice my self-interest and dignity for peace.

Soon afterwards rebellion had broken out in the Borneo state of Brunei, and Indonesia for the first time had showed open hostility. “In other words they started a cold war against us,” he said.

“We are ready to take up arms, together with our friends, against any direct assault on our territory, and I made my stand clear that this country would meet force with force, “But on the other hand I was prepared to seek peace, because if there was a way to avoid war, I for one would go all out to work for it even at the extent of lowering my own dignity,” he said. This was why, when “confrontation” had raged, and President Soekarno had declared his opposition to Malaysia “with great force and vehemence,” the Tunku had twice gone to meet him, in Tokyo and Manila. “As the leader of an independent country I ignored the fact that I would be losing face by going there, especially in the midst of all this confrontation,” he said. “I was confident my presence would clear the air of misunderstanding. and so I went.”