Kuala Lumpur, 10 June 1965
1351 . Top Secret Immediate
Indonesia
Tunku called Head, Wade, Butler1 (new Canadian High Commissioner) and me to a meeting at the residence late last night. Others present were Ismail and Tan Siew Sin.
2. Tunku said his Ambassador in Bangkok2 had sent a message from the Indonesian Ambassador, Diah, asking him to agree to meet Sukarno and Macapagal in Bangkok. It was suggested that if he could agree to Macapagal’s inclusion it might be possible to get Sukarno to Bangkok where he could be held at gun point if necessary. In Sukarno’s absence, the Army led by Nasution, Yani and the Commander of the Siliwangi Division would have a showdown with the Communists and then call off confrontation. The Army wanted Sukarno out of the country as otherwise his influence could lead to a bloody civil war. The Army planned to make use of Hatta and the Sultan of Djogjakarta.3 The Tunku, at one stage, mentioned that the Sultan might take Sukarno’s place as President.
3. Tunku said he was prepared to co-operate but he had asked whether there were plans to detain Sukarno in other capitals if Sukarno preferred them to Bangkok for the meeting. There was no satisfactory reply and Tunku thought that there were no such plans. Tunku also made the point that if Sukarno went overseas he would probably take all the leaders of the plot with him.
4. Tunku believed that the Army would have to act before the end of July because the plans appeared to be known in Djakarta and action was likely to be taken against the Army leaders. He added that a senior Indonesian visitor would be coming to Kuala Lumpur today (June 10) or tomorrow and he hoped to obtain further details. Tunku said he could not break his promise and give us the name of the visitor but would arrange for one of his ministers to give us further information as soon as he felt he could. I am satisfied that the visitor is Sukendro.4
5. In reply to a suggestion from Ismail and Butler, Tunku agreed that Sukarno might be involved in the conspiracy, but he thought not. I asked whether he would allow his agreement to co-operate to interfere with his attendance at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Meeting or the Afro-Asian Conference. He made it clear that if necessary he would be prepared to come back from London and that he did not regard his presence as essential in London or Algiers.
6. Tunku said he had been greatly heartened by the information and he now hoped that confrontation could be concluded successfully, not just for Malaysia but for the whole anti-Communist cause in this part of the world. His one fear was that Lee Kuan Yew’s activities would encourage the Indonesians to hang on in the expectation that Malaysia would collapse. He hoped that Commonwealth High Commissioners would tell Lee Kuan Yew to keep quiet.
7. Razak shares Tunku’s belief that the Indonesian approach is genuine. Ghazali, who says he is more sceptical but keeping his opinion to himself at this stage, is awaiting Sukendro’s visit.
1 Bertram Butler.
2 Enche Ya’acob bin Abdul Latiff.
3 Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX. Prominent traditional Javanese ruler who supported the Indonesian Republic in its struggle for independence from the Dutch 1945–49. He held ministerial positions in the majority of Indonesian Cabinets from 1945 and at this time was Minister/Chairman of the State Audit Board.
4 See footnote 5, Document 256.