QB.3
HOW WOULD THE UK SUPPLEMENT THEIR PRESENT COMMITMENT IN TIME OF CONFLICT?
You have now posed a hypothetical question, and hypothetical
questions are never at all easy to answer. What we should do would
depend upon all the circumstances at the time. I cannot say in
advance what level of reinforcements might be decided upon in a
hypothetical situation. Any reinforcements that we decided to send
would be drawn from our general capability. Our ability to get them
to the area very quickly was, as I have already said, well
demonstrated during this summer's Five Power exercise, Exercise
BERSATU PADU,
QB.4 WILL BRITISH TROOPS BE USED TO SETTLE DOMESTIC DISTURBANCES
SUCH AS A RECURRENCE OF RACIAL TROUBLES IN MALAYSIA?
No.
It is clearly understood by all five Governments that if
there should be any security difficulties in Singapore or Malaysia,
these would be entirely a matter for the Governments of those
countries. That indeed is already the position under the Anglo-
Malaysian Defence Agreement. I need hardly point out the use of
foreign troops to handle a country's internal security difficulties
always creates great problems and is much better avoided.
If necessary. The new Five Power defence arrangements will
be concerned with the external defence of Malaysia and Singapore.
If a situation should arise in which an external element appeared to
be involved, the five nations would consult together. One of the
most important things to be established during this process of
consultation would be whether the situation concerned the external
defence of Malaysia and Singapore or not. If it was clear that
there/