WaybackWire

KUALA LUMPUR, Monday.—Malaysian manufacturers and traders today called for an early common market including Singapore, after meeting Mr. Tan Siew Sin, the Finance Minister, and Dr. Lim Swee Aun, the Commerce and Industry Minister, at Parliament House.

“If six countries in Europe can agree on an economic union,” said Dato Mohamed Yusoff bin Haji Ahmad, executive secretary of the National Chamber of Malayan Manufacturers, “I don’t see why Malaysia and Singapore—with their historical, geographical and cultural links — can’t get together for mutual economic benefit.” Mr. Henry Wong of the United Chamber of Commerce agreed.

Inche Hanafiah Hussain, President of the Associated Malay Chambers of Commerce, said Mr. Tan promised consultation before any decision. Inche Hanafiah also wants departments to buy Malaysian-made goods “regardless of price”, not merely up to 10 per cent dearer.

Inche Noor bin Zainal of the Finance Ministry said the two Ministries are listing goods to be bought locally. To the Government, he said, Singapore is now just another foreign country.

Last year Malaya sold Singapore $791.9 million of goods and bought $930 million.

In Singapore, a Gazette notification today extended the ban on imports from Malaysia by 13 more items, all chemicals, paracetamol and codeine preparations among them.

JESSELTON, Monday.—Sabah’s Upko party, led by the Minister for Sabah Affairs and Civil Defence, Dato Donald Stephens, today called for a re-examination of the terms on which Sabah entered Malaysia, because Sabah was not consulted on Singapore’s separation.

Its national council last night named a six-man committee for the task and refused Dato Stephens’s offer to resign.

“Deep regret was expressed at the way Sabah was treated and the feeling was unanimous that as one of four component parts which got together to form Malaysia, Sabah had every right to be consulted before such a far-reaching decision was taken,” the party said.

In Kuching, Mr. Stephen Yong of the S.U.P.P. wants a federation of Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei considered again. “Whatever the people want, we have to face up to it,” he said. The Chief Minister, Dato Stephen Kalong Ningkan, has rejected the party’s call for a referendum.

Also in Kuching, the Minister for Sarawak Affairs, Temenggong Jugah, said in a broadcast tonight that the Tunku did not force Singapore out. “It was Singapore’s Premier, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who wanted the island state to separate from Malaysia. Singapore wanted to have absolute power.”

Talk of Sarawak leaving Malaysia was the work of Communists and their agents, he said.

SINGAPORE, Monday.—Singapore’s Cabinet met this afternoon for the first time since independence. Nine Ministers attended; trade with Malaysia, internal security and foreign relations are believed to have headed the agenda.

Mr. Lee, still on official leave, did not attend, though he was in his office for much of the day.

The Finance Minister, Mr. Lim Kim San, spent several hours with three officers just back from weekend trade talks with the Malaysian Government, led by Mr. Sim Kee Boon, until last week deputy chairman of the Tariff Advisory Board. No statement was issued.

Mr. George Bogaars, Director of Special Branch since 1961, has been appointed Permanent Secretary to the new Ministry of Defence and Security. For now it has one room in the Ministry of Social Affairs; it is expected to move to Pearl’s Hill police headquarters. The Foreign Ministry will be in City Hall.

“I have one and a half staff at the moment,” the Minister for Defence and Security, Dr. Goh Keng Swee, said at the weekend.

SINGAPORE, Monday.—Survival must now be Singapore’s first consideration, the Education Minister, Mr. Ong Pang Boon, told teachers this morning at the opening of a seminar on teaching art and crafts at the Teachers’ Training College.

“Our outlook must be re-adjusted to this new situation where our major consideration must necessarily be our survival,” he said.

Almost two million people must live and work within 224 square miles, he said, and teachers must instil self-reliance, diligence and discipline.

He looked further ahead: “Although twice in a generation Singapore has been artificially separated from the mainland, reunification of Singapore with the mainland is a natural development which will come about as a matter of course.”

“Yet in the meantime we have to carry on as an independent people,” he added.

KUALA LUMPUR, Monday.—In the Senate today, Tunku Abdul Rahman set out the five principles of Malaysia’s foreign policy: the U.N. Charter, freedom for subject peoples, closer ties with neighbours, co-operation with all friendly countries, and world peace and prosperity.

Basic policy towards the United States will not change, he said, and he accepts Japan’s word that rockets it sold Indonesia are for scientific research, not military use.

A Ministry of External Affairs statement said his words in Utusan Melayu did not mean Malaysia had lost interest in the Afro-Asian conference; the Foreign Ministers’ meeting must decide.

“But if the conference is to be turned into an instrument to serve the interests of a certain group, which may thus lead to a split in Afro-Asian solidarity, then we would not want to be in it,” the statement quoted him.