Canberra, 9 August 1963
Secret
No. 50/1963: Australian Association with the
Malaysian Defence Agreement
Without
Agendum
The Committee considered a draft paper which examines the following three methods which appear possible for entering into an agreement to maintain Australian forces within Malaysia:—
(a) to negotiate a separate Australian–Malaysian Agreement;
(b) to become a party to the Anglo-Malaysian Defence Agreement;
(c)to associate ourselves with the revised Anglo-Malayan Agreement by an exchange of letters in a form similar to the present exchange.
2. The general consensus of opinion was that, as far as can be judged at the present time, method (c) is likely to be the most practicable way for Australia to associate itself with the Malaysian Defence Agreement.
3. The Committee noted that, from a purely military viewpoint, if a separate agreement could be devised which would give us rights commensurate with the obligations we would have to assume, this would meet the Australian requirement for continued stationing of our forces in Malaya in support of our treaty commitments in South-East Asia. The desirable balance of rights and obligations in such an agreement would be as indicated in paragraph 22 of the draft paper.1 It would appear however that the obligations Australia would have to undertake for the defence of Malaysia in return for this advantage could well be beyond Australia’s capacity. Also, as the draft paper points out, a separate agreement may not be acceptable politically to a Malaysian government.
4. A definitive position on the form of agreement for maintaining Australian forces in Malaysia can not be adopted until more is known of Malaysian views on the question. It may prove possible to devise a separate Australian/Malaysian agreement if Australian obligations under the agreement were of a limited nature. It would be advisable that, in the discussions with the Malayan authorities which will proceed in the time remaining before Malaysia is formed, the possibility of a suitable bilateral agreement be explored.
Conclusion
5. The Defence Committee recommended that the draft paper should be submitted to Ministers as a tentative expression of opinion subject to the views and the further proposed exploratory discussions outlined above.
[NAA: A4940, C3811]
1 That is, Australia’s right to maintain the status quo regarding the stationing of forces and occupying of bases in Malaysia and to deploy these forces for operational purposes and exercises not connected with the immediate defence of Malaysia; and Australia’s obligation (with qualifications) to assist in the defence of Malaysia against armed attack.