Kuala Lumpur, 9 August 1965
1713. Secret Emergency
My 1710.1
Tunku confirmed that Singapore separation would be ‘complete’ but said an agreement had been worked out and signed with Singapore covering defence, economic and other matters. He promised to let me have a copy of the agreement as soon as possible and I expect to be able to telegraph the main points later today. Tunku said that there would be a joint defence council and the position of British and Malaysian bases in Singapore had been protected. He said ‘we hold the upper hand’ and that Singapore will have to consult with us in dealing with foreign governments.
2. Tunku said that since he returned on Thursday he has been in secret consultation with Lee who returned to Singapore yesterday morning. Only senior Alliance ministers were privy to the negotiations and from Singapore, at least Toh was involved and according to the Tunku was opposed to the separation.
3. Tunku said he knew that, like the British, we would not like it but he had been left with no alternative. The communal situation had deteriorated and if he had not moved quickly there would have been trouble and ‘we would not have been able to continue t of fight the Indonesians’. If Singapore had not agreed to an amicable arrangement, the only alternative would have been to send in troops and take over the state.
4. He had held the talks in great secrecy because he could not accept that there was any alternative and because he was afraid that if there were any leaks there would be serious trouble. He intended to write personally to the Prime Minister and explain.
5. I asked how it was that Lord Head had heard. Tunku said that he had no intention of telling British but Head had broken in on a party yesterday evening—he suspected on the basis of information from Singapore.
6. Tunku assured me that the intention was to work closely with Singapore and endeavour to maintain the PAP Government’s position there.
7. I have just heard that an announcement is now being made in Singapore.2
[NAA: A1838, 3027/2/1 part 24]
1 Document 288.
2 The proclamation on the separation was issued by the government gazette and read out on all radio stations in Singapore at 10.00 a.m., simultaneously with the Tunku’s statement in Kuala Lumpur (see footnote 2, Document 289).