Agreement On Talks For Malaysia Settlement

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30342, 18 January 1964, Page 15

Agreement On Talks For Malaysia Settlement

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) TOKYO, January 17. President Soekarno of Indonesia and Mr Robert Kennedy, the United States Attorney-General, agreed in their first meeting in Tokyo today that the problem of Malaysia should be solved in consultations.

This was announced after the meeting, by a member of the visiting United States party. He said the talks were cordial and would be continued.

In answer to questions, a briefing officer, Mr E. D. Guthman, said that by consultations was meant consultations between the parties directly concerned. The problem, he said, was between Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Indonesians issued a statement after the talks which said: “The talks were conducted in a very friendly and smooth way. There was no difficulty at all in finding ways to a solution to the problem.” The statement said that the problem should be solved by consultations between the parties concerned. “It was also understood that a favourable climate for the consultations should be created,” it said. An Indonesian spokesman said President Soekarno would be host to Mr Kennedy at breakfast tomorrow and -would hold further talks after that. A spokesman for the

American side said the United States representatives attending the talks were “quite happy” with the outcome. He said: "Although there is no agreement on confrontation, we have reached agreement on consultation.” Short Meeting The spokesman said Mr Kennedy had been asked by another official why his talks with President Soekarno — which had been expected to last as long as three hours—had gone for only one hour and a half. He said Mr Kennedy had replied: “Because we were able to reach agreement in only one and a half hours.” Earlier today Mr Kennedy met the Japanese Foreign Minister (Mr Masayoshi Ohira) and then had an audience with Emperor Hirohito. Mr Kennedy spent 20 minutes at the Foreign Ministry. After he left, Mr Ohira, who looked pale, said that the visit had been cut short because he was suffering from a stomach upset and it was difficult for him to talk. He said they had briefly exchanged views on the good

state of American-Japanese relations. A letter from President Macapagal of the Philippines proposing that he and the Malaysian Prime Minister (Tunku Abdul Rahman) meet for talks on the Malaysia issue was received in Kuala Lumpur late this morning. The Malaysian Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to reveal the text of the note, but said it was very short and the Prime Minister was studying it. He has already announced to the press that he is ready for an unconditional meeting with the Philippine leader. The talks are expected to be held in Bangkok in the near future. The Philippines has a claim on Sabah and like Indonesia has refused to recognise the Malaysian Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah. However, it has declined to join Indonesia in outright “confrontation” of the Federation. The Philippines and Malaysia have remained in contact through the Thai Government.. Until now the Tunku has said that any discussions must be preceded by recognition of Malaysia. The Government has denied that foreign pressure was responsible for a change in this stand.

The Philippines is expected to get over the question of tacit recognition of Malaysia by proposing that the talks between President Macaipagal and the Tunku be described as “conversations between signatories to the Manila agreements.” Government officials in Kuala Lumpur expect that at the proposed talks President Macapagal will ask the Tunku to agree to an unconditional meeting that will include President Soekarno. They also expect that the Philippines leader will press for the Tunku’s agreement to procedures for . settlement of the Sabah claim. The “Manila Chronicle” said today that an assurance that Malaysia respects the Philippine claim to Sabah will be sought by President Macapagal when he meets the Tunku. The ‘‘Manila Chronicle” said this was the stand taken by the President’s foreign policy advisers at a five-hour conference yesterday.