TNAG-2677-FCO40-3874-Hong-Kong-garrison-withdrawal-plan-1993 — Page 288

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HKD 063/1

2 8 JUN 1993

BRUNEI GARRISON

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Ми Вествен

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15

NT.

1. You will recall (Lt Col Collett's letter of 24 April) that the Garrison Commandant was summoned by Dato Alimin (the Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office at the Istana whose responsibilities include defence matters) over the question of resiting the Seria Garrison's ammunition compound. Col Collett reported that, during this conversation, Dato Alimin had said that he wished to be kept abreast personally of developments affecting the Garrison.

2.

I called on Dato Alimin on 2 June to find out what all this was about. Dato Alimin said that there had been a period of some confusion, now happily resolved. This was because the Land Department, who had properly been consulted by the Garrison about moving the ammunition compound, had for some reason circulated papers around the Bruneian administration with the result that the issue had found itself on the agenda of one of the meetings of Brunei's defence and internal security council. This council was chaired by Pehin Badaruddin, one of the other Permanent Secretaries at the Istana, with particular responsibility for security. The committee also groups representatives from RBAF, the Police, the MFA and MinDef. During the council meeting Dato Alimin had been surprised to discover wild speculation among its members linking the move of the ammunition compound to press reports of the run-down of the Hong Kong Garrison and concluding that the British Government must be in the process of a major expansion of the Brunei Garrison, without consultation with Brunei. Dato Alimin had spoken firmly to scotch any such speculation and to reassure the council that the move of the compound was solely dictated by safety considerations. On this issue all was now sweetness and light.

3. Dato Alimin went on to say, however, that this incident had highlighted the need to keep him personally in the picture about developments at the Garrison. He said, interestingly, that foreign defence relations were the responsibility of the Prime Minister's Office at the Istana and not the direct concern of the Ministry of Defence. So on Garrison matters we should deal with

/him

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