02/ 12 ' 93 16: 48 ' 006 273 2923PMP SS FFCQ001 OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
CANBERRA
STATEMENT BY A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PRIME MINISTER
The Malaysian Government has made no official protest to Australia and, according to
the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, has taken no action to downgrade the relationship.
Wc welcome thi and believe it is appropriate.
In response to problems which have emerged in the bilateral relationship over recent
days, the Australian Government has made official and high-level representations to the
Malaysian Government through our High Commissioner in Kuala Lumupur and to the
Malaysian High Commissioner in Canberra.
We have underlinied the following points in those meetings:
Ile Prime Minister values Australia's relationship with Malaysia and wants to build
on it
Thc Prime Minister accepts that on some issues Australia and Malaysia will not see
eye-to-eye
Both Governments need to avoid a situation in which the media is setting the tone
of the relationship
We hope that both Governments will act in a way which clearly draws a line under
what has happened and avoid any further deterioration in the relationship or any
slide into tit-for-tat retaliation
The Prime Minister has also written a personal letter to Dr Mahathir i which he has
made the following points:
This issue has been blown out of proportion and it is not in the long term interests
of either Australia or Malaysia for it to continue
The Prime Minister's rcmarks in Seattle were not calculated to give offence to Dr
Mahathir. Rather, they were made to make clear that it was a decision for
Malaysia, and Dr Mahathir, if Malaysia wished to absent itself from the APEC
meeting and that Australia had clear design interests in the architecture of APEC,
interests which it would defend vigorously
4b The Prime Minister considers that this issue can only be settled if both countries
are willing to put it behind them PM PRESS OFFICE
02/ 12 ' 93 16: 48006 273 2923PM PRESS OFFICE
If this was the case. the bilateral relaonship between Australia and Malaysia could
flourish
The Prime Minister believes the bilaeal relationship between Australia and Malaysia
has substantial potential and wants to see it continue to dcvclop.
CANBERRA December 2,1993 o002