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SECRETARY
TOP SECRET
MO. 25/2/77
OF
STATE
Pages
41/E
Lie (3)
RECORD OF A TALK BETWEEN THE
RT. HON. DENIS HEALEY, MBE, AND
THE HON. LEE KUAN YER, PRIME MINISTER
OF SINGAPORE
ON THURSDAY 27th APRIL
On Thursday 27th April, the Rt. Hon. Denis Ilealey, Secretary of State for Defence met Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore for a short talk at the end of the morning. The UK High Commissioner and PS to the Defence Secretary accompanied Mr. Healey; Mr. George Bogaars was also present. Mr. Healey gave Mr. Lee Kuan Yew a brief account of his meetings with the Tunku and Malaysian Ministers in Kuala Lumpur on the previous day. He made the following points:-
a.
b.
C.
the main reactions of the Tunku and Tun Razak turned out to be exactly the same as those of Lee Kuan Yew. They too had emphasised the importance, in the light of HMG's new proposals, of maintaining confidence. The Tunku had gone so far as to ask that the Defence Secretary should not go out of his way to mention the offer of economic aid at his Press Conference; and the subject had not been mentioned.
Looking ahead to the reduced forces which the British could expect to have in the area in 1970/71, the Malaysians had expressed a preference for maritime and air forces, though they recognised the implications of this for the Commonwealth Brigade, and that the British forces would be based in Singapore. At the same time, the Malaysians had been anxious that Britain should continue to remain ready, if necessary, to meet her obligations under the Defence Agreement.
The point had been tactfully made to the Malaysians that the British proposals pointed to the need for closer relations
but between Malaysia and Singapore; Malaysian Ministers had not been prepared. to be drawn.
d.
Mr. Healey had had a talk with the Tunku for more than an hour. The latter had been relaxed and in his best form.
He
/had made
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