Malaysia-Singapore


263. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 15–1 MALAYSIA. Confidential. Drafted by Moscotti; cleared in draft with G/PM, AID, and DOD; and sent through Harriman who initialed it.


264. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 MALAYSIA. Secret. There is no drafting information on the memorandum. A typed note reads: “Sent to White House via Briefing Book 7/20/64.”


265. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 MALAYSIA. Secret. Drafted by Cuthell and approved in M on August 11.


266. Telegram From the Department of State to the Consulate in Singapore

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 MALAYSIA. Confidential. Drafted by Moscotti; cleared by Cuthell and in substance by Officer in Charge of U.K. Affairs Thomas M. Judd and by S; and approved by William Bundy. Repeated to Kuala Lumpur and London.


267. Telegram From the Embassy in Malaysia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 15 MALAYSIA. Secret; Flash. Passed to the White House, DOD, and CIA.


268. Telegram From the Embassy in Malaysia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 16 SINGAPORE. Secret. Repeated to Canberra, Wellington, Djakarta, Kuching, Hong Kong, London, Singapore, and CINCPAC for POLAD.


269. Memorandum From Peter Jessup of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

[Source: National Security Council, Special Group/303 Committee Files, Subject Files, Singapore. Secret. 1 page of source text not declassified.]


270. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, INR/EAP Files: Lot 90 D 165, NIE 54/59–65. Secret. This estimate was prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State and Defense, and the NSA. All members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred with its submission on December 16 with the exception of the representatives of the AEC and FBI who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction. A 2-page map of Malaysia and Singapore is not reproduced. In a December 15 memorandum to Hughes, Director of Research for the Far East Allen S. Whiting wrote that this NIE was requested by the White House and that, “we are not enthusiastic about this estimate, largely because the predominance of emotional factors in the decision making process in this area makes predictions difficult and uncertain.” Nevertheless, Whiting recommended that the estimate be approved. (Ibid.)


271. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Malaysia

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL SINGAPORE–US. Confidential; Limdis; No Distribution Outside Dept. Drafted by Underhill, cleared by Cuthell and Berger, and approved by Bundy.


272. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Dean Rusk

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, ORG 3–2. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Bundy. A note on the memorandum indicates that Rusk saw it.


273. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Malaysia, Vol. IV, Memos, 1965–1968. Secret. Johnson met with Razak from 12:58 to 1:05 p.m. on October 5. The President’s Daily Diary is ambiguous, but apparently the President and the Deputy Prime Minister met alone and were then joined by William Bundy, Ambassador Tun Sri Ong Yok Lin of Malaysia, and Henry Heymann, Officer in Charge of Malaysian Affairs, at the end of the meeting. (Ibid.) No other record of the meeting has been found. The Department of State briefing paper and talking points for the President are in a memorandum from Read to Rostow, October 4. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 MALAYSIA)


274. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, Walt Rostow, Vol. 14, Oct. 1–31, 1966. No classification marking.


276. Telegram From the Embassy in Malaysia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL MALAYSIA–US. Secret; Limdis.


277. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Malaysia, Vol. IV, Memos, 1965–1968. Secret. A note on the memorandum indicates that the President saw it.


278. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to Acting Secretary of State Katzenbach

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Malaysia, Vol. IV, Memos, 1965–1968. Secret. A copy was sent to McNamara.


279. Intelligence Note From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hughes) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 7 SINGAPORE. Confidential.


280. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Malaysia, Vol. IV, Cables, 1965–1968. Confidential. Rostow based this memorandum on memoranda from Jorden, May 9, and Wright, September 14, to him. (Ibid., Memos, 1965–1968 and ibid., Cables, 1965–1968)


281. Memorandum From Marshall Wright of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Malaysia, Vol. IV, Memos, 1965–1968. Confidential. A copy was sent to Jorden.


282. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 7 MALAYSIA. Confidential. Drafted by Barnett and Robert W. Duemling (EA/MS) and cleared by Eugene Rostow and Solomon.


283. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 7 MALAYSIA. Confidential. Drafted by Bell and approved by Walt Rostow on October 17. The meeting lasted from 5:23 to 5:50 p.m. (Johnson Library, President’s Daily Diary)


284. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 7 SINGAPORE. Secret. Drafted by William Bundy and cleared by Maurice D. Bean, Country Director for Malaysia-Singapore. A typewritten note reads: “Original sent to WH in Briefing Book.” In an attached covering memorandum to Rusk, Bundy noted that this memorandum was lengthier and in a different format than the normal practice, but Bundy felt that since Lee was such “an exceptional individual” and since he and Johnson had never met, it would be of greater use to the President. Johnson met Lee alone in the White House on October 17 from 12:03 to 1:22 p.m. (Johnson Library, Daily Diary) No record of their conversation was made. While Galbraith did not know what Lee and Johnson spoke of, he concluded from subsequent meetings with Lee that “the meeting left Lee with a deeply favorable impression of the President and a desire to be helpful to him.” (Memorandum from Galbraith to Rostow, November 15; National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 7 SINGAPORE)


285. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL SINGAPORE–US. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Galbraith and approved in S on November 2. The meeting was held at Blair House.


286. Memorandum for the Record

[Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, Lee Kuan Yew. Secret; Eyes Only. 3 pages of source text not declassified.]


287. Memorandum From Vice President Humphrey to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Name File, Vice President, Vol. II. No classification marking. A note on the memorandum indicates that the President saw it.


289. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 5 D (2), Allies Troop Commitments and Other Aid, 1967–1969. Confidential.


290. Memorandum of Conversation Between President Johnson and Prime Minister Lee

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Conference Files, 1966–1972: Lot 68 D 453, CF 253. Secret. Drafted by Rostow. President Johnson and Prime Minister Lee were in Melbourne along with other foreign leaders and officials for the memorial service for Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt who disappeared while swimming at sea on December 17.


291. Telegram From the Embassy in Singapore to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 2 SINGAPORE. Secret; Exdis. Repeated to Canberra, Bangkok, CINCPAC also for POLAD, Djakarta, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Manila, Moscow, New Delhi, Rangoon, Tokyo, Vientiane, and Wellington.


292. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL SINGAPORE–US. Secret; Eyes Only. Lee Kuan Yew was on a 2-month unofficial vacation/sabbatical in Canada and the United States from mid-October to mid-December. Rusk recommended that, as a matter of courtesy and gratitude for Lee’s support on Vietnam, the President see him. (Memorandum from Rusk to Johnson, December 4; ibid., POL 7 SINGAPORE) Rostow also sent the President a briefing memorandum based on this memorandum by Bundy. Rostow suggested that Johnson should congratulate Lee on the economic success of Singapore and the increased American investment there and tell him that U.S. military forces were beginning to use Singapore’s repair facilities on a commercial basis. (Memorandum from Rostow to Johnson, December 10; Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Singapore, Vol. II, 8/67–12/68)