Malaysians Settling Differences

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30802, 14 July 1965, Page 2

Malaysians Settling Differences

The Malaysian people were trying to settle their internal difficulties in a democratic way, and most realised that only with unity could they combat aggression, Lady Jolly, wife of Lieuten-ant-General Sir Alan Jolly, commander of the British Far East land forces said in Christchurch yesterday.

“They are a young nation and need time to evolve their

own way of life,” she said. "President Sukarno’s confrontation policy is not giving them this time, and 1 think it our duty as an older country to help them. ‘They are not just sitting back and leaving it all to us. Malaya combatted communism very well, and I think they will do the same with Sukarno.” Infiltrators from Indonesia had received little support from the people, and there was no popular feeling for communism in Malaya. “She is a very pro-Common-wealth country, and we have not found any anti-British feeling.”

Making a home in countries of the East and in Europe has been a way of life for Lady Jolly. Now based in Singapore she finds the Malaysian people friendly and polite—charming to live amongst "Moving round has been my life, and I think I shall find settling down difficult,” she said. “It’s an interesting life meeting so many different people.”

After postings in India. Pakistan, Nepal, and Thailand, Lady Jolly’s tastes are still essentially European. Chinese and Indian art does not appeal to her, but she has found the ancient ruins and castles fascinating. “It is difficult to understand the Eastern arts, because we do not have the Oriental mind. Westerners say they should conform to our ways, but their culture was evolved long before ours,” she said.

“Pakistan was probably my favourite country, perhaps because we had the children with us then. later they went to boarding school in England. Our daughter is now married to my husband’s aide-de-camp, and if she had not elected to have a baby now she would have been with us on this trip. Micnael, our son, was also coming with us but his plane was grounded in Australia.” Although Lady Jolly likes keeping house and cooking, she has plenty of help in Singapore. “The servants are excellent, but I still do quite a bit myself.” French and Italian meals are her favourites, and she has found the Malay curry delicious.