Singapore, 8 August 1963
421. Confidential
Malaysia
Minister for Finance, Dr. Goh, told me last night Singapore Ministers are very disturbed over outcome of Manila meeting.
2. Singapore Cabinet generally considers that harsh fact is Indonesia is not prepared to accept Malaysia and Tengku has damaged his prestige and Malaya’s dignity in appeasing Indonesia rather than standing firm in the false hope that it will now do so.
3. Prime Minister is to go to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow to put Singapore’s views to Tengku, and seek clarification.
4. Points he will make include:—
(a) Singapore Government is strongly opposed to any postponement of Malaysia date which it considers will work only to advantage of Communist elements in South East Asia and will not really ameliorate Indonesia’s attitude towards Malaysia.
(b) Singapore is not bound by the Manila Joint Statement. It is signatory to prior multilateral agreement with North Borneo, Sarawak and United Kingdom (and Malaya) to establish Malaysia on 31st August, (in this context Goh told me that Lee was considering calling a meeting with Chief Ministers Designate of Sarawak1 and North Borneo2 to insist on Malaysia on 31st August and to consider prospects of requesting independence on this date even if this were to mean independence outside of Malaysia at that stage).
(c) Singapore reserves its position on Maphilindo which was not a consideration when it agreed to merger and Malaysia.
5. Donald Stephens is reported in today’s ‘Straits Times’ as saying in Jesselton yesterday that he was opposed to postponement of Malaysia. ‘Straits Times’ also reports Sabah Alliance3 is expected to insist on independence on 31st August ‘with or without Malaysia’.
6. Full report of talk with Goh in today’s bag.
[NAA: A1209, 1963/6637 part 2]
1 Dato Stephen Kalong Ningkan.
2 (Dato) A. Donald Stephens.
3 A pro-Malaysia coalition of previously opposing parties which won a landslide victory (90 per cent of the total vote) in the state’s first elections held between late December 1962 and June 1963.