300
IMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT A
FM BRUNEI 9581882 OCTO
CONFIDENTIAL
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- S OCT 1977
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See. 51
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CONFIDENTIAL
INDLA
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TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 297 OF 4 OCTOBER 1977
RET PRIORITY SINGAPORE KUALA LUMPUR AND JAKARTA.
49
YOUR TELNO 165: BRUNEI NEGOTIATIONS.
1. THE SULTAN RECEIVED ME THIS AFTERNOON. PRINCE MOHAMED AND ISA WERE PRESENT. THE SULTAN WAS COMPOSED AND ALERT, AND GIVING LITTLE AWAY. FOR ME, IT WAS THE FIRST OCCASION WHEN THE SULTAN, WITH SIR CMAR ABSENT, HAS SPOKEN IN MALAY AND REQUIRED TRANSLATION INTO MALAY.
2. ! SPOKE HS INSTRUCTED, EMPHASISING THE CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE WHICH HMG ATTACH TO VERY EARLY PROGRESS, AND HANDED OVER THE MINISTER'S MESSAGE. THE SULTAN OBSERVED THAT THE MESSAGE AND
ITS ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS WOULD REQUIRE TRANSLATION AND DESPATCH (PRESUMABLY TO LONDON FOR SER OMAR) AND CAREFUL STUDY BY HIS CONSTITUTIONAL ADVISER, AND ASKED THAT I POINTGTHIS OUT. AGAIN AT THE END, I REVERTED TO THE IMPORTANCE ATTACHED TO VERY EARLY
PROGRESS.
3.
DURING THE COURSE OF DISCUSSION, THE SULTAN SAID HE WAS MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO MR MALCOLM MACDONALD'S VISIT LATER THIS MONTH, AND SAID HE WOULD RE WRITING TO ME ABOUT AN AUDIENCE FOR MR MALCOLM MACDONALD ON 26 OCTOBER. GIVEN THIS AND OTHER BACKGROUND, I AM DOUBTFUL IF THE SULTAN WILL TRAVEL TO LONDON NEXT WEEK (FCO TELNO 166). BUT SUBJECT TO MR MACDONALD'S OWN VIEWS, HIS VISIT HERE COULD CLEARLY OFFER A FAIRLY EARLY OPPORT- UNITY, ALONGSIDE WHATEVER ELSE MAY BE IN TRAIN, FOR FURTHER STRESS OF THE DRITISH POSITION.
CONFIDENTIAL
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14. PERHAPS