CPS 560
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
KUALA LUMPUR 390915Z NOV 78
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 514 OF 30 NOVEMBER
RA
HKK 184/1
695
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY KO. 51
-INFO PRIORITY SINGAPORE JAKARTA BCARFE HONG KONG CANBEDEC 1978
BANGKOK AND MANILA
662
MY TEL NO 485 UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
No Ab
REGISTRY Action Taken
عین
1. OVER LUNCH YESTERDAY MOHD NOOR (SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT) SPOKE TO WILLIAMS IN CONFIDENCE ABOUT THE RECENT MALAYSIA-AUSTRALIAN AVIATION TALKS AND THE OUTLOOK FOR THE UK-
MALAYSIA TRUNK ROUTE. HE SAID THAT DURING THE RECENT TALKS IN
KULA ALUMPUR THE AUSTRALIANS HAD OFFERED TO TAKE QANTAS OFF THE
·AUSTRALIA/MALAYSIAN ROUTES BUT HAD WANTED A QUOTE COMMERCIAL
AGREEMENT UNQUOTE WRITTEN INTO THE DEAL. WE ASSUME THIS REFERS
TO SOME FORM OF REVENUE SHARING ARRANGEMENT.
2. MOHD NOOR HAD CLEARLY BEEN IRRITATED BY THE AUSTRALIAN
ATTITUDE DURING THEIR RECENT VISIT HERE ALTHOUGH HE SEEMED QUITE RELAXED ABOUT THE LIKELY EFFECT OF THE PROPOSALS ON
MALAYSIA. HE SAID THAT THE MALAYSIANS HAD BEEN GIVEN ONLY
2 DAYS NOTICE OF THE DATES FOR THE TALKS. THEN THE AUSTRALIANS, HAVING EMPHASISED THAT THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO INFORM THE MALAYSIANS OF THEIR PROPOSALS AND NOT TO REACH SUBSTANTIVE DECISIONS UNTIL LATER, ATTEMPTED TO GET THE MALAYSIAN TEAM TO SIGN A MEMORANDUM AGREEING TO THE PROPOSALS, INCLUDING THE COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT. THE MALAYSIAN NEGOTIATIOR REFERRED BACK TO MOHD NOOR AND THE AUSTRALIANS HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT THE MALAYSIAN SIDE COULD SIGN NOTHING WITHOUT CABINET APPROVAL.
要
3. MOHD NOOR SAID THAT HE WOULD BE CHAIRING AN ASEAN TRANSPORTATION - COMMITTEE MEETING ON 4 DECEMBER AT WHICH THE AUSTRALIAN CHEAP FARE PROPOSALS WOULD BE THE CHIEF ITEM ON THE AGENDA. THE OBJECT OF THE MEETING WOULD BE TO REACH A CONSENSUS ON THE ISSUE TO PUT BEFORE THE NEXT ASEAN ECONOMIC MINISTERS MEETING. THERE WAS SOME URGENCY IN REACHING A MEASURE OF AGREEMENT IN ASEAN SINCE THE NEXT ASEAN/AUSTRALIAN DIALOGUE WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE ON 11 DECEMBER. CONFIDENTIAL
/ 4. MOHD NOOR