Malaysians Uneasy About Anzac Intentions

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32036, 10 July 1969, Page 23

Malaysians Uneasy About Anzac Intentions

(From CEDRIC MENTIPLAY) KUALA LUMPUR, July 2. It seems that every time the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr Gorton) makes a statement on Malaysian defence, Australian popularity in this area lessens. The big question is: “If Australia continues on this line, must New Zealand continue to follow?”

Before Mr Gorton’s statements, Australian and New Zealand stood highest of all “outside” Powers in the hearts of Malaysians. The reaction to Mr Gorton’s first indication that responsibility for Malaysian protection did not necessarily include that of Sabah was one of bewilderment.

It now appears that Mr Gorton’s references to Malaya instead of Malaysia were not a careless mistake, but de-

liberate. In other words, west Malaysia (that is, the Malay Peninsula) is the only part of Malaysia under the Five Power defence umbrella, as far as Australia is concerned.

Australian papers have followed this up by indicating that arguments such as the one between Malaysia and the Philippines over the status of Sabah (in eastern Malaysia) constitute only a “family squabble.” Not So Sure Until a few days ago, senior Malaysian Cabinet Ministers appeared to have no doubts about where New Zealand stood. At the Canberra Conference, the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) had made no loose statements, and had been quite explicit that New Zealand’s support in emergency had no tags attached. Now they are not quite so sure.

The reasons are logical: (1) Because Mr Gorton decided that Australian troops should move to the Singapore area, instead of remaining in the British Commonwealth Reserve camp at Terendak, New Zealand has had to follow.

(2) Malaysian ministers are all aware that New Zealanders would have preferred to remain at Terendak, but that the New Zealand force was too small to “go it alone.” (3) The inference is that New Zealand, though an independent State, with views

sharply differing from those of Australia at the political level, will continue nevertheless to be attached to Australian military decisions.

In discussions with the Malaysian Secretary of Defence (Samad Noor), I suggested that the New Zealand decision to move from Terendak with the Australians had been a Treasury rather than a Defence one. He replied: “I am not sure that it will be cheaper to work from Singapore. In any case, before the decision was made, we would have liked to know your difficulties. I am sure some arrangement could have been made.” The Deputy Prime Minister (Tun Abdul Razak) expressed similar views. Future Of Camp It is plain that to the Malaysians, the movement of all Commonwealth forces from Terendak is not a dead issue. They are not clear yet as to what they will do with this well-appointed camp. The strategic argument is, of course, that Terendak is on the peninsulh, not on Singapore Island. But Malaysia’s own training areas are disposed elsewhere. Service chiefs have an obvious contingency plan to use Terendak. Tun Abdul

Razak mentioned that four new battalions would be formed immediately, and these could train at Terendak. The camp, designed for a British-style brigade group, could have permanent accommodation for as many as seven infantry training battalions.

In the meantime, the New Zealand image is high in Malaysia. There are no doubts about what New Zealand wants to do. But until certain facts are stated, and until Mr Gorton’s official (as distinct from press-reported) statements are available and defined, Malaysians must remain uneasy about what the A.N.Z.A.C. Powers really intend to do.