§ Mr. Murrayasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, in view of Her Majesty's Government's involvement by her treaty obligation to assist in Malaysia's defence, what reports he has received from the Malaysian Government about the participation of regular serving members of the Indonesian military and para-military forces in acts of armed terrorism in Malaysia.
§ Mr. BottomleyIndonesian officers and other ranks have regularly participated in numerous unsuccessful attempts to infiltrate armed raiding parties in both Western and Eastern Malaysia. I am arranging to place in the Library of the House copies of three official Malaysian Government publications in which the main details of the raids which have taken place up to the beginning of June are catalogued. In addition I am arranging to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the official Malaysian Government record of a press conference given in Kuala Lumpur on 17th June by the captured Commander of an Indonesian regular para-military police unit which landed in South-East Johore at the end of last month.
RECORD OF PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN IN KUALA LUMPUR ON 17 JUNE 1965
A captured Indonesian Company Commander told the Press to-day that none in his group of 25 invaders, who landed on Penggerang in Johore on 30 May was a Malaysian. "All of us are Indonesian regulars", said Inspector of Police, grade two, Nicolass Titaley, in an interview with the Press held at the Information Department. The Indonesian Government recently claimed that the Indonesians who had landed on south-east coast of Johore were Malaysians who wanted to "liberate Malaya from the neo-colonialists". Some time on Friday, 28 May, 1965, D Company of Regimen Pelopor (an Indonesian para-military police unit) left their base camp at Kawal for Tanjong Pinang where they boarded an Indonesian customs boat which took them to Tanjong 54W Uban. This is on the Indonesian island of Bintan in the Rhio group south of Singapore. At Tanjong Uban 21 members of the company under their Company Commander, Inspektor Polisi II Nicolass Titaley, were selected for infiltration into Malaysia. On the evening of 29 May, they were transferred into two outboard motor-boats which proceeded towards the coast of Malaysia. The two boats managed to evade Malaysian coastal patrols and arrived at Penggerang, Southern Johore. Malaysia, in the early hours of 30 May. Everyone was fully armed, wore camouflage uniform, carried two weeks' rations, medical supplies, 500 to 600 rounds of amunition, hand grenades and several hundred dollars in Malaysian currency. Their so-called mission was "to infiltrate into Malaysia, to assist the local people in military training and to help Malaysians fight for their independence". Malaysian security forces were deployed soon after they landed at Penggerang to track and eliminate the Indonesians and in 12 days of jungle operations, the entire group of infiltrators was eliminated and the operation called off. One Indonesian had been killed and 24 captured alive. Malaysian security forces suffered no casualties in this operation. Here is an interview with the Indonesian Commander of the ill-fated group of infiltrators, who had left their base with assurances of their superiors in the Djakarta regime that, when they arrived on Malaysian soil, "a large number of soldiers from their own regiment who had been sent to Malaya in several groups in the past were waiting for their arrival".
Q. What was the purpose of your mission?
A. To carry out instructions as a Company Commander of the police Mobile Brigade to come to Malaysia and assist the people of Malaysia in their uprising.
Q. Were you told about the uprising in Malaysia before you started to come to Malaysia?
A. I was briefed that Malaysia was a colonialist country.
Q. Before landing here were you aware of this colonialism?
A. No, but I was told prior to my departure from Indonesia that I should assist the people of Malaysia and I would be receiving assistance from the local people when I arrived here.
Q. Did you make any contacts with the local people?
A. No.
Q. So you knew that you would not receive any support from the people?
A. I only realised this fact after I was captured.
Q. What was your main objective?
A. My main objective was to land, to look for the members of the Indonesian forces who had landed earlier and to make our way inland, possibly as far as North Kelantan.
Q. How long were you in command of your men?
A. I was in command of D Company in the last three months. Before that I was in Djakarta.
55WQ. Did you hear of the results of Indonesian landings?
A. I received no details of what happened to the Indonesians who had been sent here or groups from my own regiment.
Q. Were you or any of your men volunteers or were you under orders?
A. There is not a single volunteer in my group. I am the senior officer, a regular officer of the Indonesian armed forces and all my men are serving members of this force.
Q. What made you surrender instead of fighting on?
A. I was captured.
Q. Did you bring any documents?
A. Yes, these have been handed over to the Malaysian Government—my identification as a regular officer as well as my orders for taking over D Company.
Q. How long have you been an officer of the Indonesian Army?
A. I have been serving in the police for the last 15 years.
Q. How old are you?
A. I am 40 years old.
Q. Your family?
A. I have a wife and seven children.
Q. What was the nature of the special training for this operation?
A. Police training and weapon training.
Q. Guerilla warfare?
A. Yes.
Q. Where do you come from?
A. Djakarta.
Q. What about your family in Indonesia.
A. I am hoping that my family will not have to suffer for the duties that I have been given to carry out. I expect that my family would be looked after.
Q. What about the treatment you have received here.
A. The treatment given to me and also to my people since our capture has been very good.
Q. Are you sorry for what you have done?
A. I feel regret, yes, but as a member of the armed forces I am bound to carry out orders.
Q. What about the morale of your men?
A. I can say the morale and physical condition of my men have been poor in the recent past due to shortage of supplies and sickness.
§ Mr. Murrayasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, if he will make a statement about the proposed Commonwealth Parliamentary Assembly and the implementation of the decision of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference on this matter.
56W
§ Mr. BottomleyHer Majesty's Government do not propose to take any steps immediately towards setting up a Commonwealth Parliamentary Assembly. They brought this proposition to the notice of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Meeting, but the Conference did not have time to go fully into the matter on this occasion. Meanwhile they noted with approval the meetings organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.