Dangerous Phase In Malaysia

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 13

Dangerous Phase In Malaysia

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, July 20. Indonesian military operations in Malaysia have moved into a new and potentially dangerous phase, said “The Times” today.

A report from the newspapers’ defence correspondent in Brunei said that since the break-down of the Tokyo talks troops of the Indonesian regular army were being committed to action on a much larger scale. Instead of sending large and badly organised parties of volunteers they were now carrying out attacks on villages a few miles inside Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak, using groups of 40 or more well-trained troops, often almost entirely regular. When they came into contact with the security forces they operated with great skill and dash, displaying a sound knowledge of British tactical methods, a fact that led officers in Brunei to reflect bitterly on the policy that allowed Indonesian officers to be trained until a year ago at the jungle warfare training centre in Malaya. Undermining Confidence

“The Times” correspondent said Indonesians were trying to undermine the confidence of the local population by showing how easily they crossed the border and put on a demonstration of firepower.

At the same time small bands of terrorists were infiltrating into Borneo.

Chinese Communists in Sarawak were already showing signs of becoming more militant and with nearly 24.000 Chinese as a potential threat to internal security

this might well represent a much greater danger than military confrontation along the borders.

“Tjie Times” went on: “Her field guns, heavy machineguns and amphibious armoured vehicles of Indonesian marine commandos direct a constant if somewhat erratic fire at patrol boats and aircraft of the security forces. “These demonstrations allow the Indonesian Government to impress the local population with fantastic claims of aircraft shot down, ships sunk and British, Gurkha and Australian troops killed or captured.