Soekarno, Macapagal Want To Meet Tunku

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30337, 13 January 1964, Page 11

Soekarno, Macapagal Want To Meet Tunku

(L't .Z.P.A .-Reuter— i Copyright) MANILA, January 11. President Soekarno, of Indonesia, and President Macapagal, of the Philippines, indicated today they wanted to meet the Malaysian Prime Minister (Tunku Abdul Rahman) again to discuss the Malaysia question.

This came in a joint statement issued at the close of a five-day “working State visit” to the Philippines by President Soekarno. The joint statement said: “The two Presidents noted with regret that the present friendly discussion included only two of the three signatories to the Manila agreements, but expressed the hope that the next will witness the participation of all. “They made it clear that

the present meeting has been devoted to peace, and constructive ends in an effort to forge a new and lasting unity among the three members of Maphilindo.” “Maphilindo,” a loose confederation of Malaya, the Philippines and Indonesia, was set up by the Manila agreements of last August, which also laid down conditions for the formation of Malaysia. The confederation broke up with the founding of Malaysia amidst mutual accusations of bad faith. Indonesia and the Philip-

pines believed that the Malaysian crisis could be solved by adherence to “the spirit of the Manila agreements,” the statement said. “They cherish the hope that a tripartite mushawarah (friendly discussions) could be convened to resolve existing differences among the three signatories to the agreements.” The statement said Maphilindo (in its existing form as a union of the Philippines and Indonesia) had already “helped prevent the final and irreparable disruption of normal and friendly relations among the three partners, the present difficulties among them being temporary in nature. The two Presidents considered it “essential to strengthen Maphilindo as a living reality in the firm belief that with its framework constructive and equitable solutions can be found for many of the serious problems of the region, including those arising from the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.”

According to conference sources this means the extension of the ManilaDjakarta bond to Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia is understood to have expressed interest already. The statement said President Macapagal had asked for “moderation and restraint” by Indonesia and Malaysia. Earlier, Philippines officials said they feared Indonesian pressure to make them join in confrontation, but President Soekarno told President Macapagal: “Leave confrontation to us.” The Indonesians pledged to support a Philippines claim on Sabah, “within the framework of the principle of selfdetermination.” Until now they have supported the rebel, Sheikh A, M. Azahari, who wants an independent Borneo state, taking in Sarawak, Sabah and British, protected Brunei. Malaysian officials, commenting privately, charged that the statement indicated the Philippines is “ganging up” with Indonesia against Malaysia. Foreign Ministry sources said the statement appeared to have “destroyed Manila’s claimed role as a mediator” in the Malaysia dispute.