Kuala Lumpur, 28 January 1963
63. Secret
Indonesia/Malaya Relations
I saw Tunku this morning and went over with him arguments for seeking reconciliation with Indonesia and avoiding statements that could hinder this. Tunku said that following our previous talks he had endeavoured to avoid provocative statements. At same time Malays were simple people and their mentality was such that he had to defend himself against Indonesian accusations. He was, however, making use of other Government spokesmen to reply to Indonesia, where this was necessary.
2. Tunku saw little prospect of improving relations with Indonesia because of jealous and bitter hostility of Sukarno and Subandrio towards himself personally. He had first learnt of Sukarno’s hostility from Ayub Khan1 who, following Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference in 1961 had visited Indonesia and spoken highly of the Tunku. To Ayub Khan’s astonishment Sukarno had immediately launched a violent personal attack on the Tunku as impossible self-seeker who was only concerned with his own glorification. Tunku said he had also been surprised, but since then he had watched closely and Sukarno’s statements and Indonesian policies had borne out what Ayub Khan told him.
4.2 Tunku also said he was recalling Malayan Ambassador to Djakarta and did not intend, at this stage, to send him back. Diplomatic relations had been difficult. Indonesians had not replaced Razif3 and he did not think there was value in having Malayan Ambassador in Djakarta. I shall, of course, do what I can to counter this view but there was little opportunity this morning.
I see no reason to change anything in my telegram 57.4 However, it seems that any message from Tunku would have to be oral and limited to general statement of Federation’s wish to maintain friendly neighbourly relations.
[NAA: A1838 TS696/17/1 part 4]
1 Field Marshal Mohammed Azam Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan and Minister for Defence.
2 Original document contained no designated paragraph 3.
3 Mohammed Razif, Indonesian Ambassador to Malaya, 1957–63, who had recently returned to Indonesia at the end of his posting.
4 4 See footnote 3, Document 19.