CONFIDENTIAL
4. AS REGARDS THE
#PROGRESS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AS A WHOLE, HAMZ AH
SAID THAT HE HAD HOPED TO BE ABLE TO SECURE SOME POSITIVE COMMITMENT
REGARDING THE TRUNK ROUTE AS WELL AS THE HONG KONG ROUTE IN THE
COURSE OF THE CURRENT ROUND. HE BELIEVED THERE WAS A CAST IRON CASE
FOR INCREASING MAS'S CAPACITY TO FOUR SERVICES A WEEK AND QUOTE HIS POLITICAL MASTERS UNQUOTE WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IF HE WAS UNABLE TO REPORT THAT THIS HAD BEEN SECURED IN THE COURSE OF THE CURRENT POUND, HE CLAIMED TO BE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION SINCE THEY WERE IN AV EXTREMELY IMPATIENT MOOD AND WERE EXPECTING HIM TO PRODUCE
QUICK RESULTS.
}
5. ROGERS RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN AT PAINS TO MAKE IT PLAIN
BEFOREHAND THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD REACH ANY CONCLUSIONS IN THE COURSE OF THIS ROUND. THE MALAYSIANS HAD ALLOWED TOO SHORT A TIME FOR THIS ROUND OF TALKS, WHICH HAD BEEN ARRANGED SPECIFICALLY TO FIT IN WITH THE ONLY DATES THEY HAD SAID WERE AVAILABLE. IT WAS NOT TO BE EXPECTED THAT A FULL S ALE REVIEW OF OUR MIR SERVICES RELATIONS INCLUDING SUCH COMPLEX MATTERS AS CAPACITY
AND FARES COULD BE COMPLETED IN A MATTER OF DAYS: AND SINCE THE
WEETING HAD BEEN ARRANGED MATTERS HAD BEEN RENDERED EVEN MORE
DIFFICULT BY THE SUPPORT GIVEN TO SINGAPORE BY THE OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES AND BY THE UNCERTAINTIES THAT AS A CONSEQUENCE STILL SURROUNDED THE ICAP SITUATION. THESE UNCERTAINTIES MAD MAJOR IMPLI CATIONS FOR OPERATIONS ON THE TRUNK ROUTE AND UNTIL THEY WERE DISPELLED IT WAS NOT REALISTIC TO SUPPOSE THAT WE COULD SETTLE OUR
PROBLEMS WITH MALAYSIA ON THAT ROUTE.
5. HAMZAH CLAIMED NOT TO HAVE APPRECIATED THAT WE WOULD HAVE
PREFERRED TO HAVE MORE TIME AND EVEN CONTENDED THAT HE WOULD
WALE BEEN VERY WILLING TO POSTPONE HIS ENGAGEMENTS FOR NEXT WEEK IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE TALKS TO CONTINUE FOR A SECOND WEEK. (THIS IS CONTRARY TO WHAT HE TOLD US EARLIER). HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ALLOW THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ASEAN AND SINGAPORE OVER ICAP TO STAND IN THE WAY OF A BILATERAL DEAL BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND
THE UK.
2
CONFIDENTIAI,
/ 7. ROGERS