FIVE-POWER DEFENCE TALKS IN KUALA LUMPUR

Madam Chan Choy Siong asked the Minister for Defence if he will make a statement regarding the agreement reached at the Five-Power Defence Talks held in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, I refer hon. Members to the communique which was issued at the end of the conference on the 11th of June. Press conferences were also given by each of the five delegations. As far as the Singapore delegation is concerned, we consider that the conference was useful.

The problems arising out of the decision of the British Government to withdraw from the land bases in Singapore and Malaysia by the end of 1971 were examined and an integrated air defence system was agreed upon. A detailed examination of the form of this integration is being undertaken by an Air Defence Advisory Working Group. There are also working groups on joint naval defence, on the agreement in principle of a Jungle Warfare Training School run on a multi-national basis, and there will be further discussion of these matters in these working committees.

In the first half of 1969, it is expected that the second joint Ministerial conference will be held to consider the progress made in these working sessions.