1.
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2 -
Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA)
3.
Lord Glenarthur reported his discussions on the FPDA while
in Malaysia. Did Singapore have a view on whether Brunei
should join ? BG Yeo said that Brunei would lean on the UK as
long as the UK was there to be leant on. But if the situation changed (eg after 19971, the Bruneians might well look to the
· FPDA. For the moment they felt comfortable with their relationship with the British, particularly while the Gurkhas
remained.
4.
BG Yeo said that
intensifying Malay nationalism had
reduced the level of interest in the FPDA. Singapore was concerned
to find ways to revive this. There was also the problem of Singaporean aircraft over-flying Malaysia under the Integrated Air Defence System (IADS). The Malaysians did not like this: it fuelled their fears of Singapore. In fact, Malaysia had, of course, nothing to fear from Singapore: their identification of Singapore as a threat merely represented an over-reaction to the fact that Singapore was no longer a push-over. Over time, their sense of inferiority would decrease, particularly as large amounts of British defence equipment flowed in. Mr Pike said that his experience of the Lima Bersatu exercise, and the meeting of the five Defence Ministers at the time, tended to suggest that the Malaysians were now relatively content with the FPDA. BG Yeo agreed, but repeated that the Malaysians now
saw the Arrangements as less important.
5. Lord Glenarthur added that his impression differed from BG Yeo's. The main worry he had detected in Malaysia was over
the future of the UK commitment to the FPDA. These fears were
unfounded: the UK was committed to the future of the
Arrangements. BG Yeo replied that the UK was perhaps committed only as long as Australia was. It was not, moreover, clear in
what scenarios the FPDA would be useful. The Singaporeans were discussing various ideas with the Malaysians, particularly in the area of training since it was essential to find fresh
relevance for the FPDA; it could not be left as it was. There
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