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IN CONFIDENCE
cultural links as a source of influence.
16.
There are no significant bilateral differences; the Prime
Minister's visit in April 1985 was a great success. Mr Lee and
other Singaporeans have been critical of what they perceive to be Britain's declining standards. Singapore's current economic
difficulties have however made them less vocal. They visit the UK
frequently. Brigadier General Lee Hsien Loong, gave the keynote speech to the Singapore Futures' Conference in London in January 1986; Goh Chok Tong, visited in September as a guest of HMG at the start of a European Tour when he called on the Prime Minister and four Cabinet Ministers (the Secretary of State gave a lunch), and
Goh Keng Swee, ex-Finance Minister and one of Mr Lee's oldest and closest associates, spoke at a Wilton Park Conference on China in
October. The FAC visited in April 1986, and in their report focused on the potential for defence sales. In our response we have stressed that our civil commercial interest in Singapore should not
be overlooked.
17.
The arrests under the Internal Security Act on 21 May (see paragraphs 4 and 5 above) have raised a potential problem in bilateral relations. The alleged ringleader, Tan Wah Piow (who had served a one year jail sentence for rioting) was admitted to the UK in 1976 on what later emerged was a forged extension of his Singaporean passport. (It also emerged, later, that his motive for leaving Singapore had been to evade National Service). In 1979 he was granted refugee status (further details are set out in our telno
165 to Singapore; Annex A).
18. The Singaporean Foreign Minister (Dhanabalan) said to journalists on 1 June that the UK had "not been too anxious to repatriate Tan to Singapore". It would be up to the Singaporeans to
ask HMG to consider extradition. We have no record of any such
request ever having been made. However, the Singapore High Commission have recently shown great interest in our extradition relationship with Singapore, and it is possible the Tan case lies behind these enquiries. We would have to consider any request on
its merits. However, we are not aware that Tan has been involved in
any subversive activities nor that he has infringed UK law.
IN CONFIDENCE