138
GPS 370
UNCLASSIFIED
FM KUALA LUMPUR 163439Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 32 OF 16 JANUARY
INDEX
HKK 243/1
VED IN REGISTRY FO. 17 JAN1979
PA
ction
RY
ar
UKMIS NEW
No
10] •
JAKARTA
BANGKOK
FO PRIORITY SINGAPORE MANILA
YORK UKMIS GENEVA GOV HONG KONG
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. THE MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER, DATUK HUSSEIN ONN, IS REPORTED
TO HAVE MADE A STATEMENT ON 15 JANUARY, DURING A VISIT TO TRENGGANU, TO THE EFFECT THAT MALAYSIA WOULD NO LONGER RECEIVE VIETNAMESE
IMMIGRANTS.
2. ACCORDING TO THE BERNAMA (OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCY) REPORT,
DATUK HUSSEIN MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS :
QUOTE
MALAYSIA WILL REVIEW ITS POLICY REGARDING ACTION TO BE
TAVEN TO DETERMINE THAT VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL NO
LONGER ENTER ITS TERRITORY. MALAYSIA WAS NEITHER CAPABLE NOR
WILLING TO ALLOW ANY MORE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO COME BECAUSE THEY
ALREADY POSED A HEAVY BURDEN. THIS OUGHT TO BE REGARDED AS NOTICE
TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, FUTURE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIFICALLY THE OFFICE OF THEE UNHCR, AND OTHER
GOVERNMENTS SUCH AS THE UNITED STATES, THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND SOUTH AMERICA, WHO SHOULD TAKE SERIOUS NOTE OF THE MALAYSIAN STAND. MALAYSIA DID NOT DESIRE TO BE STRICTER
THAN IT HAD BEEN IN THE PAST, UNLESS IT COULD NOT AVERT EVEN
GREATER ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES IF THE INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
WAS NOT CHECKED AND THOSE ALREADY IN THE COUNTRY SENT AWAY.
THERE WERE