Singapore Offer To Indonesia

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31079, 7 June 1966, Page 13

Singapore Offer To Indonesia

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter —Copyright) SINGAPORE, June 6. Singapore has told Indonesia that she is ready to exchange diplomatic representatives “as soon as this can be done without disrupting friendly relations between Singapore and her other neighbours”, a Government source said today.

Her “other neighbour” was interpreted to mean Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, announced unexpectedly that an emergency Cabinet meeting had been postponed until tomorrow.

The meeting was believed to have been planned to discuss Indonesia’s recognition of Singapore and next Thursday’s talks between the Tunku and Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s Prime Minister. The Tunku said today that

tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting would be given a full report by the Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, on the recent Bangkok peace talks with the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Mr Adam Malik. Exchange Of Notes

Asked if Malaysia would ratify the peace proposals brought back from Bangkok by Tun Razak, the Tunku said: “I don’t think there is need to ratify them as there was only an exchange of notes”

After the Bangkok talks last week it was believed that both Governments needed to ratify certain secret proposals that would then produce a settlement of the confrontation issue and lead to diplomatic relations. “Does Not Matter”

Asked about Indonesia recognising Singapore before Malaysia—an event Malaysians once said would be interpreted as an unfriendly act —the Tunku said: “Now it does not matter who is recognised first, as long as it is meant to achieve peace in this region and not to buy bullets to kill people.”