TNAG-0879-FCO40-1089-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 141

CONFIDENTIAL

6. COMMENT: THE HOME MINISTER'S REMARKS ADD LITTLE TO THE PM'S STATEMENT REPORTED IN MY TUR. AN MFA OFFICIAL HAS POINTED OUT THAT PM'S STATEMENT WAS MADE IN TRENGGANU, THE STATE MOST SERIOUSLY AFFECTED BY THE REFUGEE PROBLEM, IMPLYING THAT THE STATEMENT IS ESSENTIALLY FOR DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION AND REPRESENTS NO REAL CHANGE IN MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT POLICY ON REFUGEES. HOWEVER THE MALAYSIANS HAVE PUT THE WEST ON NOTICE THAT SUCH A CHANGE MAY YET BE FORCED UPON THEM ALTHOUGH IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT OPTIONS ARE OPEN TO THEM OTHER THAN GHAZALI'S HINT ABOUT REPAT-

RIATION,

HAWLEY

FILES UND

HK & GD

SEAD

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

PS/MR LUARD

FED

PS/PUS

SAD

SIR A DUFF

MR CORTAZZI

}

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

LONDON

MR BURLEIGH

HOME OFFICE

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE

MR BIRT

HOME OFFICE.

LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON

EID (E)

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D

MVD

MR WEIR

MR MURRAY

3 CONFIDENTIAL