Kuala Lumpur, 9 June 1966
1434. Confidential
Malaysia—Singapore
Lee Kuan Yew and Lim Kim San were in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. They met the Tunku, Razak, Ismail, Tan Siew Sin and Sambanthan at the Residency.
2. The two Prime Ministers met the press after their meeting. Lee said discussions boiled down to agreement to close and friendly co-operation between the two independent countries. Singapore would have nothing to do with Malaysian politics, and Malaysia nothing to do with Singapore politics. Lee said he had assured the Tunku Singapore would re-establish diplomatic relations with Indonesia only if Indonesia simultaneously reestablishes diplomatic relations with Malaysia. Indonesia understood this clearly. Singapore would also safeguard Malaysia’s special interests with regard to defence and security, and would keep Malaysia fully informed of all steps taken to normalize relations with Djakarta.
3. In answers to questions Lee said he hoped the meeting would result in better economic co-operation. The Tunku said Malaysia had been co-operating very well and was ready to co-operate in economic matters all the time. Lee said he hoped causeway restrictions would be lifted 1 but the Tunku preferred not to go into the matter.
4. When asked about regional co-operation the Tunku said Maphilindo hadn’t and would never work. He had no faith in it. ASA was different. ASA was formed mainly for economic co-operation. It could now be made effective. He did not reject idea of Singapore joining and Lee displayed interest, mentioning that Singapore was all in favour of regional and economic co-operation.
5. The press had also carried statements by Lee on return to Singapore last night, in which he said his meeting was the beginning of a long process to reach a new relationship between two equal independent countries. Singapore, he said, needed an independent sovereign Malaysia to survive and Malaysia needed an independent sovereign Singapore prepared to work on equal terms for both’s survival.
6. MFA2 official (Zainal Sulong) has told us Malaysian ministers were generally happy with meeting. Malaysians had asked Lee why he was making such a big play of developing relations with communist countries while Malaysia was still fighting communist terrorists. Lee said it was necessary for Singapore’s international image, to balance retention of the British bases. Lee had made proposal not to accept Indonesian diplomatic representation unless simultaneous with diplomatic representation in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysians had accepted assurance by Lee that neither he nor his Cabinet colleagues had made covert contact with Indonesians prior to Bangkok talks (but are sure there were contacts at lower levels). In discussions, principally between Lee and Ismail, both sides agreed that two countries should approach each other as independent countries, and not tie future co-operation to pre-existing arrangements or pre-separation projects (such as a common market).
7. When asked about follow-up discussions the official said nothing had been fixed. There was an outstanding agreement in principle to a third meeting of officials on implementation of the Separation Agreement, and for the Malaysian side to submit a draft defence treaty and Singapore to submit proposals for economic co-operation. So far nothing had been exchanged and no dates fixed. Malaysia was not now so anxious about a defence treaty with an end to confrontation in sight, and preferred to let matters rest to see what line Singapore took over the next few weeks. When asked about causeway controls the official said this was now to be seen in the light of relations between two independent separate countries. The Malaysian Government was, however, considering some form of relaxed measures for the future, not involving passports and visas, but ensuring some control on unwanted people.
[NAA: A6364, KL1966/04]
1 In April, Singapore’s Acting Prime Minister, Toh Chin Chye, had welcomed Indonesia’s decision to recognise Singapore (see footnote 3, Documents 356 and 357), to which Ismail had reacted by imposing entry controls for Singapore identity card holders crossing the causeway. At the time, Lee was on a two-month overseas tour, which included his defence talks in London (see footnote 1, Document 358).
2 Ministry of Foreign Affairs.