Canberra, 9 August 1965
1141 . Secret
Your telegram No. 17101 does not indicate that you have been informed of Malaysian Government’s decision by that Government itself. Your information seems to be only from Lord Head.
2. It looks from your telegram to be too late for us to change decision but you should in any event see the Tunku urgently2 and make the following points:—
(a) In view of support both political and military we have been giving Malaysia in defending its territorial integrity against aggression, and in view of conversations we have had on this question at various levels from Prime Ministers downwards, Australia had expected it would have been consulted and given some notice about this.
(b) It is most important that any changes be made in a way acceptable to people of Singapore and that the personal safety of Lee Kuan Yew should not be endangered.
(c) Defence and economic implications for future are considerable and involve countries assisting Malaysia no less than Malaysia itself, and this alone should have let Malaysians to have had some advance consultations with us.
3. We are hampered in commenting by not knowing exactly what is context of Malaysian Government’s decision. What form of separation is proposed? Your telegram implies complete separation, that is that Singapore will be a completely separate state and no longer part of Malaysia. You will appreciate how this complicates, to say the least, the support given by other countries for the continued incorporation of the northern Borneo states in Malaysia.
4. As at present advised I do not see how the Australian Government can say it was informed in advance (your paragraph 3). Even what we know now was communicated to us (and not by Malaysian Government) after decision had been taken.
[NAA: A6366, JA1965/04T]
1 Document 288.
2 Critchley advised Hasluck by immediate return that the Tunku had agreed to a brief meeting before he had to leave for Parliament where he was to make a statement at 10.00 a.m. The Tunku had also advised that he would be sending letters of explanation to the UK, Australia and New Zealand.