Canberra, 15 September 1965
Secret
Future Malaysia/Singapore Defence Arrangements
There are two comments that I think worth making on points arising out of last night’s discussion among Ministers:
(1) I am sure it is right that we should look forward to an early regularization of the position of the British Bases in Singapore, so that our combined capacity to continue to meet any intensification of confrontation remains unimpaired. But this will need the co-operation of Lee Kuan Yew, and I think we cannot automatically assume that this will be forthcoming. He may in practice be fully prepared to let existing arrangements carry along in full, while at the same time be reluctant to formalise them. And it may not be judicious to try and rush him. In this connection I think the note that Jockel1 gave you yesterday on the attitude of the Singapore Government to defence arrangements is relevant. It is uncertainties of this kind that the British have very much in mind.
(2) The Prime Minister’s thinking, as I understood it, was that in respect of any British ideas regarding bases in Australia we might weaken our bargaining position if we indicated too readily in advance that we were prepared to go along with them. Therefore, when the British next approached us on the matter, we should do no more than indicate that we would be prepared to consider their ideas on their merits. This is obviously right; but the point that worries me is whether or not it is really in fact Australia that is in a position to bargain. Might it not be open to the British to take the line that it is for us to determine where and how we want our security maintained; that we can choose between a British contribution in Singapore/ Malaysia or in Australia or perhaps a combination of both; but that their contribution is bound to have definite limits, especially in Singapore/Malaysia. In other words, should we not be giving some thought, before British decisions begin to harden too much, to what we ourselves want to see maintained in the way of base facilities and forces in Singapore/Malaysia and in Australia, over the longer term, and what we may be able to contribute in men, money and materials in either place.
1 G.A. Jockel, Assistant Secretary, Southeast Asia Branch, Department of External Affairs.
[NAA: Al838, 3006/10/4/1 PART 2]