CONFIDENTIAL
DRAWING A COMPARISON BETWEEN HONG KONG AND ANTARTICA. QUOTE THE LATTER DID NOT NECESSARILY BELONG TO THE FIRST PEOPLES TO REACH IT JUST AS HONG KONG DID NOT BELONG TO THOSE WHO ACQUIRED IT ON THE BASIS OF MILITARY STRENGTH.
6. EVIDENTLY MAHATHIR HAS BEEN STUNG BY THE ENDING OF ANY REALISTIC HOPES THAT BMF CAN RECOVER MUCH OF THE OUTSTANDING DEBTS. MALAYSIAN PRESS DESCRIBE HIM AS BEING VISIBLY ANGRY DURING HIS PRESS CONFERENCE.
7. IT IS NEVERTHELESS REGRETTABLE THAT HE SHOULD CHOOSE TO ASCRIBE PART OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MALAYSIAN BANKING LOSSES IN HONG KONG TO HMG'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CHINA OVER THE FUTURE OF THE COLONY. IT IS YET ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF HIS SHOOT-FROM- THE-HIP STYLE WHEN CORNERED ON A DIFFICULT ISSUE. HE IS EMBARRASSED AT HAVING PUBLICLY TO ACKNOWELDGE INCOMPETENCE AND A DEGREE OF DISHONESTY AMONGST SENIOR BUMIPUTRA OFFICIALS WHOSE ACTIONS HAVE COST THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT DEAR.
8. I AM SURE WE SHOULD IGNORE HIS OUTBURST. IF ASKED ABOUT IT HERE, WE WILL OFFER NO COMMENT. MEANWHILE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF HONG KONG COULD INDICATE WHETHER THE COMMITTAL PROCEEDINGS IN THE JALIL MURDER CASE, DUE TO BEGIN LATER THIS MONTH, ARE LIKELY AT THIS STAGE TO INVOLVE A REPETITION IN COURT OF THE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE MALAYSIAN FINANCE MINISTER ALREADY MADE TO THE HONG KONG POLICE BY THE ACCUSED.
GILLMORE
LIMITED
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