CONFIDENTIAL
RECORD OF CONVERSATION DURING A CALL BY LORD GLENARTHUR ON THE
SINGAPOREAN MINISTER OF STATE AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
nox P.
а го
И
18 NOVEMBER 1988
1KB 027/1
Present
Lord Glenarthur
Mr Pike
PS/Lord Glenarthur
Miss Stehr u.r.
A
213/5
Brigadier-General George Yeo
Miss Karen Tan
1.
After opening courtesies, Lord Glenarthur described his
visits to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Malaysia. BG Yeo
commented that British relations with Malaysia appeared much
improved. Touching on the Malaysian internal scene, he said
that the Singaporeans thought it very important that UMNO
should re-establish itself as the core of political life in
Malaysia, with other racial parties grouped around it.
The
schism in UMNO worried the Singaporeans. The relationship betweenSingapore and Malaysia remained tense. Only as the former
"Siamese twins" became ever more distinct would the relationship
attain a more secure footing.
2. Mr Pike commented that official relationships were as good
as they reasonably could be: a series of high-level visits had been exchanged recently, all of which seemed to have gone
well. BG Yeo agreed that relations would remain manageable
as long as the political centre in Malaysia held. If it fell
apart, this would bring out the anti-Chinese feeling which was always under the surface in Malaysia. Singapore was a multi-
racial meritocracy, in which ethnic Malays were inevitably left behind (although the Singaporean Government discriminated in their favour). In Malaysia, however, the Malays retained political power, the Chinese economic. The risk was that the Malays would end up with en even bigger share of an ever smaller pie. The Malay middle class were growing in strength and wealth. But they did not know how to divide it equitably.
This had intensified rapaciousness which, in turn, fuelled the
current uncharacteristic outbreak of disunity among Malays.
CONFIDENTIAL
/Five
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.