Kuala Lumpur, 6 April 1964
440. Top Secret Priority
Australian Forces
Our 423.1
I received today (April 6) from Razak formal request for Australian Government’s permission to use Australian forces in Malaya to deal with Indonesian incursions on the mainland if need arises. New Zealanders received similar request.
2. Letter is dated 4th April and reads as follows:
As you are aware, continuing hostilities from Indonesia with her considerable military strength constitute a threat to the security of Malaysia. The threat at present takes the form of infiltration, mainly in the Borneo states. Of late there has been evidence that such infiltration is also directed against Malaya and Singapore.
Although a major act of overt Indonesian aggression against Malaya and Singapore is not at present visualised, the possibility cannot be ruled out. However, we believe an increase in their infiltration tactics which carry the risk of incidents between Malaysia and Indonesia are more likely.
In the past few weeks such activities have been particularly noticeable in Malaya and Singapore. A number of Indonesian-trained saboteurs have already been arrested and further investigations are being carried out to trace and arrest the remaining infiltrators and saboteurs.
Although the material damage caused by such activities has so far been slight, we have not yet eliminated all the infiltrators known to have entered the peninsula and Singapore. We believe them to be of higher calibre than the earlier parties.
Indonesia may make the forthcoming election a short term target. They will I feel seek every opportunity to undermine the support for Alliance leadership and will endeavour to cause distrust for Alliance policies. Above all they will strive to shake public confidence in the ability of the Alliance Government to hold Malaysia together in the face of Indonesian opposition.
We have taken steps to guard some priority key points and some of our territorial and volunteer forces have been called out to relieve the Regular Army of these tasks.
We have also examined the likelihood of further landings particularly on the west coast of Malaya between now and the date of the election. Due to the favourable state of the tide and moon we consider that the west coast is particularly vulnerable to such landings during the hours of darkness between 5–12 April and 16–19 April.
We have already been assured by the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, that incursions by armed Indonesians on to the mainland of Malaya will be treated in the same way as in the Borneo states and that British forces will be made available should we have to call for assistance.
I am writing to seek the agreement of the Australian and New Zealand Governments that such of their forces stationed in Malaya at present under the operational control of the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, will also be made available should the need arise.
I would be grateful if you would transmit this request to your respective Governments as a matter of urgency so that a combined plan covering command and control can be drawn up as soon as possible.’
3. Letter was copied to British High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief Far East.
[NAA:A1945, 245/3/12]
1 26 March. It reported that the High Commission had ‘heard in a roundabout way’ that the Malaysians were planning to ‘seek Australian views on what instructions should be issued to Australian forces in Malaysia in the event of their coming into contact with parties of Indonesian infiltrators or saboteurs’.