N.Z. AID TO MALAYSIA

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30827, 12 August 1965, Page 1

N.Z. AID TO MALAYSIA

More May Be Sent If the request was within reason, New Zealand could supply further military aid to Malaysia should the federation require it because of the dramatic change of events in the last two days caused by the secession of Singapore, said the Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre) in Christchurch yesterday. The Chief of the Defence Staff (Lieutenant-General L. W Thornton) added that New Zealand would not be able to meet any enormous demand, but only, as Mr Eyre had indicated, any reasonable request. Mr Evre said the Government did not intend to remove its Air Force units from Singapore. He did not know, he said, whether the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) intended to discuss the military aspects of Singapore’s withdrawal with Britain’s Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) or the Prime Minister of Australia (Sir Robert Menzies).

Mr Eyre, General Thornton, and the Secretary of Defence (Mr J. K. Hunn) were in Christchurch for the first of several meetings to explain to leading citizens the implications of recent and projected changes in New Zealand defence administration.

The meeting was attended by about 200 officers of the three armed services and representatives of former servicemen’s organisations, the police, the civil defence organisation. newspapers, and radio.