Kuala Lumpur, 11 March 1965
627. Secret Priority
Malaysia/Indonesia
Tunku showed me this morning a letter he had just received from Thanat Khoman with a message from Subandrio.
2. Subandrio said he and Sukarno had been on the point of fixing a date for a meeting with Malaysia but a recent statement by the Tunku widely publicised in the national and international press had created a stir in public opinion in Indonesia. Tunku Abdul Rahman’s statement was to the effect that:
(a) The projected summit meeting will be held at Indonesia’s request.
(b) Aggression will be stopped by Indonesia.
(c) Genuine desire for peace should be shown by Indonesia.
(d) No assistance should be accepted by Indonesia from Peking.1
3. Subandrio went on to say that in the light of the adverse effect created by this statement, he was seeking Thanat’s indulgence to allow him time for the strong public reaction to quieten down before fixing a date. Public opinion ‘especially in military quarters’ had produced an obstacle that needed careful handling before Indonesia could attend talks. This did not mean that Thanat should abandon his ‘successful efforts’. On the contrary, Sukarno and Subandrio maintained their ‘fullest support for a meeting as soon as possible’. They were not in a position t of ix a possible date because any decision at this stage would only heighten public feeling.
4. In conveying Subandrio’s message, the Indonesian Ambassador in Bangkok2 told Thanat he regretted that the talks could not be held but felt sure that this only meant a temporary postponement. He added that the phrase ‘in military quarters’ really meant ‘in P.K.I. quarters’.
5. Thanat has told the Tunku that he agrees with this interpretation and that, as the Tunku knows, the P.K.I. is trying to prevent any conciliation moves. He has suggested that Tunku handle any publicity with great care to avoid helping the communists gain their objectives.
6. In showing me the letter, Tunku commented, ‘now you can relax’. He will give British, New Zealanders, Canadians and ourselves the text of Subandrio’s message but not the comments of the Indonesian Ambassador and of Thanat who should be protected.
7. Tunku is proposing to release the following statement: ‘The meeting in Bangkok between Tunku Abdul Rahman and President Sukarno which was hoped for shortly will now not take place. No plausible reason has been given so it can only be assumed that Indonesia is not prepared to stop her acts of hostility against Malaysia.’
8. I told the Tunku that I hoped Razak’s tour of Africa would not be further delayed.3 He assured me it would not. There were overtures from Indonesia for Razak to meet somebody but if these came to anything Razak could do so on his way to Africa.
[NAA: A2908, M l20 part 4]
1 Statement referred to was a report of the Tunku’s interview with a correspondent from the Indonesian newspaper Merdeka , datelined 4 March.
2 Burhanudin Mohamad Diah.
3 See footnote 8, Document 242.