TRIBUTE ABDUL - Perdana Library

FRANK SULLIVAN
be no discussion on apartheid by the Prime Ministers, but there might
be some soundings outside the Conference.
From this point on the Commonwealth Relations Office issued
a very short statement of proceedings each day, and a whole team of
Press Officers were kept busy for three or four hours after sessions
ended briefing news men on the background either in person or on
telephones. This was very necessary, otherwise apartheid would
detract from the many-sided work of the Conference throwing thl
record out of balance. The men from Fleet Street haunted the
hotels where the Prime Ministers and their delegations were stayine
and gave full publicity to speeches and rallies made outside thg
Conference, for instance Mr. Diefenbaker's attack on raciae
discrimination. The result of this Press activity was that by the
time the Conference ended it was the most widely publicised Premiers'
meeting ever held.
At the very first formal session the Tunku kept his promise;
he raised the question of apartheid. As the Prime Minister has
said himself, he was lucky in a way as it fell to him as the newest
member to reply on behalf of all the other Prime Ministers to the
speech of welcome by Mr. Macmillan. In the two weeks before
leaving Kuala Lumpur the Tunku had devoted much time and care
to the preparation of this important speech. He studied it on his
flight to London, giving the final touches of revision after arriving
there.
I am committing no breach of security by saying that what
happened on the first day was briefly as follows: After Mr. Mac-
Millan had welcomed the delegates and formally inaugurated the
Conference, the Tunku spoke in reply. The texts of these speeches
were not released, but the Tunku himself has disclosed since, here in
Parliament in Kuala Lumpur, what he said about apartheid.
Following this there was a formal discussion on the agenda and
proceedings. There was in fact a discussion on how, when and where
apartheid would be discussed. It was agreed that a special room
should be provided in No. 10 Downing Street where not more than
four or five Prime Ministers or representatives at a time would talk
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