Minister Will Visit Malaysia

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31561, 26 December 1967, Page 1

Minister Will Visit Malaysia

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) KUALA LUMPUR, December 25. The Australian External Affairs Minister, Mr P. Hasluck, and the New Zealand Defence Minister, Mr Thomson, will visit Malaysia early in the New Year.

Mr Thomson confirmed that he would visit South-East Asia early in the New Year. He said he hoped to visit New Zealand servicemen stationed there.

During a brief airport conference before he left Perth yesterday, the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister (Tun Abdul Razak) said that Malaysia’s defence arrangements with Britain, New Zealand, and Australia were adequate for the time being. Britain was still assuring Malaysia that she would stick by her defence treaty obligations. Tun Razak said there was no agreement about Malaysia’s proposal for a meeting

of the five nations affected by the withdrawal —herself, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Britain, but they had agreed there would be quiet discussions in the meanwhile. The visits of Mr Hasluck and Mr Thomson would help prepare the ground for such a meeting at Ministerial level, he said. Tun Razak said also he had told President Johnson that Malaysia would do all it could to help train South Vietnamese in rural development. He had discussed a South Vietnamese request on this with the President while they were in Melbourne, he said. Tun Razak said there was no suggestion from President Johnson of a military commitment from Malaysia in Vietnam.