GPS 48%
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
НИК
also. av.
026/5.
Hrk 184/1.
1973
i 237 t
Lee 3.02
FM KUALA LUMPUR 011835Z JULY 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 238 OF 1 JULY
HPT & AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT AND CONCORDE
1. AT THE BREAKFAST WITH GHAZALI ON 1 JULY AND AT THE SUBSEQUENT
MEETING WITH HUSSEIN ONN THE SECRETARY OF STATE WAS PRESSED HARD
ON CIVIL AVIATION.
2. HUSSEIN ONN STRESSED THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE AIR SERVICES
FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE. HE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE MAGNANIMOUS
ON THE BIG THINGS BUT NIGGLING ON SMALL MATTERS. HOWEVER, THESE
SMALL THINGS COULD HAVE A WIDE-RANGING EFFECT ON OUR OVERALL
RELATIONS. PUBLIC OPINION IN MALAYSIA COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE
WERE BEING SO MEAN. AT THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS WE HAD MADE NO
REAL PROGRESS, WE HAD PUT IN SO MANY PROVISOS, AND ON THE QUESTION
OF FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS BEYOND HONG KONG THERE HAD BEEN REGRESSION
INSTEAD OF PROGRESSION. IF IN THE NEGOTIATIONS WE DID NOT SHOW
CONSIDERATIONFOR MALAYSIAN INTERESTS, ANTI-BRITISH GROUPS WOULD
TRY TO EXPLOIT THIS TO THE DETRIMENT OF OUR OVERALL RELATIONS-
AND WOULD MAKE THINGS MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE GOVERNMENT ON CONCORDE.
3. HUSSEIN ONN, HOWEVER, MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT WAS NOT IN HIS NATURE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TROUBLES OVER AIR SERVICES TO
MAKE DIFFICULTIES FOR US ON CONCORDE. HE INTENDED THAT THIS
SHOULD STILL BE DEALT WITH SOLELY ON WHETHER OR NOT IT CAUSED
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND SO FAR THERE HAD BEEN NO REAL
DIFFICULTIES.
4. BOTH HUSSIN ONN AND GHAZALI ALLEGED THAT WE WERE FAVOURING
SINGAPORE AT THE EXPENSE OF MALAYSIA. WE HAD, THEY SAID, BEEN UNFAIR TO MALAYSIA FROM THE OUTSET WHEN MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE AIRLINES
HAD BROKEN UP.
CONFIDENTIAL
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