'Uneasiness in Asia about Labour Govt’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33778, 26 February 1975, Page 3

'Uneasiness in Asia about Labour Govt’

GV Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent)

TOKYO, February 24.

1 he Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon) says there is a feeling of uneasiness in South-East Asia that the New Zealand Labour Government might “fly off the handle and do something spectacular.”

“There was nothing; you could put your finger on, but it was a very clear picture I got,” Mr Muldoon said in an interview.

He said he was sure this stemmed to some extent from the policies of the Australian Labour Government. A senior diplomat from the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo, who was present during the interview, said to Mr Muldoon: “Do you want that reported, Mr Muldoon?’’ The Leader of the Opposition replied: “Yes, I’m a politician, not a diplomat.” The diplomat said: “I was not thinking of us, I was thinking of the Australians.” Mr Muldoon laughed and said: “To hell with the Australians. I’m sure Bill Snedden (the Australian Opposition Leader) would agree.” r “LITTLE CHANGE”

Mr Muldoon, who has just visited Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, said he doubted if this feeling of “uneasiness” was caused by anything New Zealand had done in the region.

“Norman Kirk certainly was held in very high regard in the area, particularly in Singapore,” he added. Mr Muldoon said he made the point everywhere he went that very little change of real significance in foreign policy had been made under Labour.

The previous National Government had been working towards recognition of China and a new National Government would not put the clock back.

MALAYSIAN STUDENTS Asked if Malaysian students in New Zealand had come up in his talks in Kuala Lumpur where he met the Prime Minister (Tun Razak) and other Ministers, Mr Muldoon said: “The impression I got was that the Malaysians were taking far more put of student demonstrations than they need. “I was asked if student pressure wo.uld cause a change in New Zealand’s attitude to the Government ofi Malaysia.”

Mr Muldoon said he told the Malaysians it would cause no change as far as a National Government was concerned.

The Malaysians had mentioned a letter the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Walding), had written to the then Malaysian High Commissioner in Wellington, Mr Jack de Silva, over the detention of a Malaysian student who had studied in New Zealand. “NOT TYPICAL” “They felt the New Zealand Government was not as sympathetic as it might be, and that it might be misled

by New Zealand student pres- I sure.” Mr Muldoon said. He added: “The name Alex Shaw (president of the New Zealand University Students’ Association) is very well known in Kuala Lumpur —I and in Singapore. I assured them he is in no way a typi-i cal New Zealand student.” “GOSSIP” DEPLORED

In Wellington today, the I Acting Prime Minister (Mr I Tizard) said that New Zea-! land's overseas reputation could suffer through Mr Mui-, doon’s “rumour-mongering.” '

Mr Tizard said the New Zealand public were paying for Mr Muldoon’s overseas! totir, but they had yet to I receive any return for their money. “I understood Mr Muldoon ! was on a fact-finding tour, not an effort to spread ! rumour and gossip,” he said. “Our people are well aware of his methods, but even the! best-informed people abroad! may misinterpret what he says because they have previously had no cause to carefully assess his antics,” said Mr Tizard. AU fixed.— Flights in and out of Wellington Airport were back to normal yesterday after Wellington City Council workmen had worked into the early hours of the morning to repair holes in the runway. They worked from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. to repair the crumbling runway surface.—(P.A.)