- Title: MALAYSIA: DEPUTY PREMIER TUN RAZAK INTERVIEWED
- Date: 2nd June 1969
- Summary: 1. GV KUALA LUMPUR (2 SHOTS) 0.13 2. SV TUN ABDUL RAZAK WITH INTERVIEWER 3.14 TRANSCRIPT SEQ 2: QUESTION: "WOULD YOU AGREE, TUN, THAT YOU'VE GOT THE POWERS OF A STRONG MAN, A DICTATOR, AND THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN OVER MOST OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE PRIME MINISTER." TUN ABDUL RAZAK: WELL, I DON'T LIKE TO ER, THE WORD DICTATOR IS TO MY MIND, MEANS SOMEONE WHO IS IN ABSOLUTE CONTROL AND NOT RESPONSIBLE TO ANYONE. I AM NOT A DICTATOR IN ANY SENSE OF THE WORD. I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED, OR WAS APPOINTED, BY OUR KING, THE HEAD OF OUR STATE, AS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, ON THE ADVICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, UNDER THE PROCLAMATION OF THE EMERGENCY BUT THIS MEANS I AM PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE TO THE PRIME MINISTER, WHO IS THE CONSTITUTIONAL HEAD, OR ELECTED HEAD OF OUR GOVERNMENT, AND IT IS TRUE THAT I HAVE WIDE POWERS AS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, BUT I, AS I HAVE STATED, THAT I INTEND TO USE THESE POWERS, PRINCIPALLY TO RESTORE LAW AND ORDER, AND TO SEE THAT THE ORDINARY MISSION OF GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS SMOOTHLY, AND ALSO TO SEE THAT RACIAL HARMONY AND GOOD WILL IN OUR PEOPLE ARE....(INDISTINCT) AND REBUILT!" QUESTION: "DO YOU ENVISAGE THE NATIONAL OPERATIONS COUNCIL UNDER YOUR DIRECTION MAINTAINING POWER AFTER THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IS LIFTED?" TUN ABDUL RAZAK: "WELL, THIS IS TRUE ONLY TO SAY HERE, ER, ER, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONDITION WOULD BE, TIME WHEN WE DECIDE TO END THE STATE OF EMERGENCY. I THINK IT IS A MATTER THAT SHOULD BE DECIDED AT THAT TIME, AND IT IS TOO EARLY TO SAY NOW." QUESTION: "TURNING TO OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS, WHAT SORT OF HELP DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE COMMONWEALTH AND PARTICULARLY FROM BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA?" TUN ABDUL RAZAK: WELL, BOTH BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO US IN THE PAST, IN DEFENCE, BY GIVING US ARMS AND EQUIPMENT, AND ALSO BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA HAVE HAD THEIR TROOPS STATIONED IN OUR COUNTRY. AND THEY'VE HELPED TO DEFEND US AGAINST CONFRONTATION BY THE FORMER INDONESIAN REGIME. AND ALSO HELP US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE MILITANT COMMUNISTS. WHAT WE NEED NOW, HELP NOW IS ROUGHLY IN ARMS, IN MUNITIONS AND EQUIPMENT." QUESTION: "DOES THE CONTINUING STATE OF EMERGENCY HERE NEGATE THE PROSPECT OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN JOINT DEFENCE, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE BRITISH WITHDRAWAL?" TUN ABDUL RAZAK: "NO. THIS EMERGENCY IS PURELY AN INTERNAL MATTER. THE QUESTION OF THE DEFENCE OF SOUTH EAST ASIA IS THE DEFENCE AGAINST EXTERNAL AGGRESSION, AND I FEEL THIS IS A MATTER WHICH WE SHOULD PROCEED WITH. AS FAR AS THE PRESENT EMERGENCY IS CONCERNED WE ARE QUITE CAPABLE OF HANDLING IT, AND WE FEEL THAT THIS IS PURELY AN INTERNAL MATTER, A MATTER FOR OUR GOVERNMENT, OUR PEOPLE." INTERVIEWER: "TUN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH." TUN ABDUL RAZAK: "ALRIGHT". Initials MJS/V/PN/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th June 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
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- Location: DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
- Country: Malaysia
- Reuters ID: LVA48QUY101QLK0Z37FSJ5MVXWBQ
- Story Text:TUN ABDUL RAZAK IS THE DEPUTY PRIME MINSTER OF MALAYSIA. THE RECENT BLOODY RIOTS IN KUALA LUMPUR HAVE BROUGHT HIM A NEW POSITION. AS DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL OPERATIONS COUNCIL, HE HAS IN THIS CRISIS SITUATION, IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED, ALMOST DICTATORIAL POWERS.
HIS JOB IS TO COOL THINGS DOWN, AND KEEP THEM THAT WAY. SO FAR, HE SEEMS TO BE SUCCEEDING. SOME KIND OF ORDER HAS BEEN RESTORED IN THE CAPITAL; THE GOVERNMENT IS NO LONGER NERVOUSLY BLAMING THE WHOLE THING ON THE COMMUNISTS; THE PHYSICAL DAMAGE IS BEING REPAIRED.
BUT THERE IS STILL THE DEEPER DAMAGE, THE LONG TERM PROBLEMS OF TRYING TO HEAL THE RIFT BETWEEN THE MALAY AND CHINESE ELEMENTS OF THE POPULATION. ON FRIDAY, TUN RAZAK WAS INTERVIEWED AT HIS HOME: - Copyright Holder: REUTERS - SOURCE TO BE VERIFIED
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