PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Speech given by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold f
at a Government Luncheon at Sjgapore in reply to a'
speech of welcome by the Singapore Acting Prime
Minister, Dr. Toh Chin Chye 29TH APRIL, 1966
Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, your Ministerial colleagues
and distinguished guests
Thank you very warmly, Dr. Toh, for your warmth of
welcome to me and to those who have accompanied me as we have gone
about this phase of our journey here in Singapore.
As you have put it to us, Australia has a long friendly
association going back throu h some of the dramatic episodes of
this uarter of a century which has now passed since the militar
operations in which we found ourselves involved at the time of I
Second World War. And that represented a watershed of history in
the life of the Australian people as far as this area of the world
is concerned. You have stressed the fact that the first major journey
I have made as Prime Minister has been to various centres here in
South-East Asia. I don't think this follows, that I have for the
first time realised the importance of the area.
This can I think, represent a new phase in the relationship
between Australia and the area, but of course we have been
actively interested in this area of the world at least dating back
to the lime that I have mentioned.
There was first our involvement with you here at the time
of the Japanese invasion. There was later our association through
the lon and difficult period of the emergency when the guerilla
activities had to be eliminated, we with other friendly Commonwealth
forces. And now, in association with other Commonwealth forces,
wteh ath avwee htahvies bpehaens e liofn kerde sitsotgientgh erth ei np rsoomcee ssoefs thoef mcoornef rsoingtnaitfiiocna, n tso
episodes and phases of historical development in South-East Asia
over these years in the military field.
But, of course, there has also been an active and regular
contact between us in the field of trade and commerce.
You have always maintained a very active entrepot trade.
lany Australians have passed through here, either as tourists or
en route to the United Kingdom and Europe, and you have come to be
known to us I think, better than almost any other country, and
certainly almost any city, in Asia.
More of our people are aware of what Singapore has to
offer this very colourful, rich and most exotic city which for
many Australians is the first point of contact they make with the
countries of Asia.
Now we find ourselves considering together some problems
which you have directly in your own economic efforts and your own
security, but we also find we have a common interest and concern
in developments in the South-East Asian area. / 2
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And it is in relation to these that my own visit has been
of considerable value to me, and I hope that as a result of the
discussions that I have been able to engage in with yourselves,
and with the other Jovernments that I have been in contact with
in recent days, our store of knowledge will have been increased
and we will be better equippoed to inform our own judgment as to
the courses we should be following in the future.
We are together in one of the critical periods cf the
history of mankind as I see it, and there will be in the period
ahead of us three factors which will not only make this a
critical area for the future of mankind, but which will involve
our omwn countries very directly.
The first of these is the revolution of change that is
going on in Asia generally; not merely a revolution in the expecations
of people, their hopes for a better order of life but
actual changes which are taking place in the way of life that they
have known for centuries.
And secondly, there is the impact which inevitably will be
made increasingly in the years ahead from the rapid growth of
population in the area. The better health standards, a higher
rate of survival and so, taken all round, such a rapid mte of
growth of population that it has been estimated that the fifteen
hundred million people of Asia will be some three throusand million
by the end of this century.
Now this quite obviously poses problems of adequacy of
supply, the need for efficient distribution, the removal of the
causes of strife so that the productive efforts of the area can
be rost effectively prganised to meet this situation. And yet
while we are facing these tasks, we have to contend also with the
cancerous growth of communism in certain parts of the area to
which I refer.
There is the communism of China itself. Well, we don't
contest the right of any country to make its own choice of the
kind of government or system of society by which it wishes to
live. What we do contest is the efforts made by the aggressors
to impose their systems on those who would prefer the system of
their own choice, and just as we have joined together in resisting
the aggression which threatened to dislocate your own country's
domestic and economic life, so we have felt bound to join with
others in resisting that aggression in Viet Nam.
I have come from there with a feeling of encouragement as
to the future, without understatin the many difficulties, both
of the political, economic and military kind that lie ahead.
But I think that daylight can be seen, and that there is a
prospect for stability in the not too distant future.
Now we are linked by our geography, by our history, by the
destiny which places us together in the midst of these quite
historic developments, and with a tradition and practice of
friendship between our two countries which should encourage us,
and indeed enable us, by our own discussions together, to make
some contribution to the future of this part of the world.
It is in that apirit that I have joined in the talks with
your colleagues this morning. It is in that spirit that I hope
That Australia's friendly association with your country will
continue through the years ahead.
Please convey to your Prime Minister, when you are next
in touch with him my own best wishes and those of my Government.
We hope that we sall be seeing him again soon, and that in the
years ahead, Singapore will find a way through its problems.
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What you-rhave -said to us about your trade difficulties and
the need to ind some solution of that will be studied sympathetically,
as a good friend of the country should. And you wi1ll be
hear n from us on that matter after I have been able to discuss
these hings which we have had outlined together for us today and
which I know you already communicated on in more detail with my
own government. We shall discus', those when an early opportunity
presents itself.
And so, good wishes to you, and through you to the people of
Singapore and my thanks on behalf of my colleagues here with me
today and myselT for the generosity of your hospitality and warmth
of your greeting to us.