Kuala Lumpur, 18 October 1965
2228. Secret Priority
Indonesia
In case you have not already heard from the British High Commission, British here have given us the following account of a conversation between Peck and Ghazali last week.
2. Ghazali said that the Indonesian Army had been in touch with him on 8th October when they said they were giving Sukarno until the night of 9th October to come out against the P.K.I. If he refused, they proposed to make a unilateral statement and hoped Malaysian propaganda would give them support.
3. According to Ghazali, the Tunku’s statements on 9th and 10th October (about which Shann felt so strongly—his 1194)1 in which he expressed his hope that Sukarno would back the Army against the P.K.I., were made as a result of these approaches. Ghazali argued that the statements would not make the Army’s position more difficult seeing that:
(a) urging Sukarno to support the Army was a safe line;
(b) Malaysia could get away with propaganda which would come badly from British or Americans [ matter omitted ];2
(c) the Tunku in any case spoke at Indonesian Army’s request.
4. Ghazali believed that if Army stays on top after Sukarno has gone they will call off Confrontation but his presence even if with only the shadow of power would make this more difficult. He believed it was up to the Malaysians to be ready with a ‘political solution’ but could not see at the moment what that would be.
[NAA: A1209, 1965/6674 part 1]
1 11 October. Shann had reacted to Radio Australia’s broadcast of the Tunku’s comments that Sukarno should ‘rid himself of the PKI’. In Shann’s view ‘it must be apparent to any one that quoting the Tunku to Indonesia at the moment might be counter-productive’. In submitting this cablegram to Hasluck on 19 October, Jockel advised him that the Tunku had made no further statements since 9-10 October, and noted that he thought it ‘probable, despite the views attributed to Ghazali, that the Tunku’s Indonesian contacts have since asked him to remain quiet’.
2 Remainder of this sentence has been expunged.