Borneo Fears Another Vietnam

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30794, 5 July 1965, Page 13

Borneo Fears Another Vietnam

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) KUALA LUMPUR, July 4.

The Malaysian Government is plan, ning a firm security programme for Borneo to deal with what is feared may become a campaign of Communist terror similar to that in South Vietnam, the Associated Pi*ess reported today.

The tough measures that helped to win the 12-year war against the Communists on the Malayan mainland are

being prepared for use in Sarawak, the Borneo State where the Communists have joined Indonesian raiders. The Government gave the first hint of its programme when it announced last Wednesday that it was resurrecting an earlier scheme to transplant thousands of villagers into protected areas. Later, Sarawak’s Chief Minister, Mr Stephen Ningkan, said the drastic move was necessary because “there are isolated Chinese communities in our border areas, which, either willingly or under duress, are being induced to provide the necessary cover and all forms of assistance to enable trained bands of marauders to infiltrate our country and complete their dirty work.” Referring to a terrorist raid last Sunday in the heart of Sarawak that left nine persons dead—including his younger brother, a police sergeant—Mr Ningkan said:

“It is now clear that the incursion derived support and direction from traitorous Chinese, who have disowned loyalty to their State and to Malaysia by defecting to Indonesia.

Clandestine

This was a reference to the Chinese-dominated clandestine Communist organisation, which has linked itself with Indonesia’s “Crush Malaysia” campaign, the Associated Press reported. The organisation is believed to have a hard-core membership of 5000. More than 1000 of them are reported to have slipped across the jungle border into Indonesian Borneo for training in guerrilla warfare. A number of these are known to have slipped back

into Sarawak and could provide the nucleus for a Viet Cong-type of operation that could spread easily in the dense jungle of Sarawak’s interior.

Previously, terrorist raids were carried out almost solely by Indonesians, with little help from Sarawak’s natives and with scant success. In his statement, issued from Sarawak’s capital of Kuching, the Chief Minister served notice that the resettlement project would be only the beginning and that “sterner measures are clearly required.” Increasing terrorist activities along the Thai-Malayan

border might have some connexion with Indonesia’s confrontation of Malaysia, the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, said today. There were signs of renewed activity by Communist border bandits, he said. A few remnants of the Malayan Communist Party are still believed to be hiding in the Thai-Malayan border. “They probably have some connexion with Indonesia.” Tun Razak said. “After all, they are fighting for the same aim—to destroy the Malaysian Government and replace it with a Government of their own.”