TRIBUTE ABDUL - Perdana Library

TRIBUTE TO TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN
right to live as free men and women in freedom, almost trying to
justify their right to live at all. I put it to you. How many people
here, how many people in Malaya, how many people anywhere in
the free world would like suddenly to be called upon to prove their
right to live in a democracy, prove it or lose everything.
T said it was an unforgettable experience; it was more than
that, it was a shattering experience. In the free world are we not
inclined to take our freedom too much for granted; are we not
inclined to think too much of benefits, and too little of responsibility?
That is the great lesson of West Berlin; there freedom and security
are living realities, because there day in a day out they are next door
to Communist reality, where there is no freedom and no security.
For anyone who believes truly and deeply in domocracy, there is no
doubt at all that the future of Berlin is the future of the free world;
there can be no doubt at all that this is the basic reason why the
Communists make an issue of Berlin.
I have taken up so much time on these highlights of the Tunku's
tour in West Germany, highlights with which you are not familiar,
that T must ask you to forgive me for passing over briefly events in
Bonn and in the Ruhr which you already know. I would like to
make only one comment or two. The Tunku flew to Bonn, arriving
in drizzling rain to be greeted with a very warm welcome and full
honours of State by Chancellor Adenauer, whom the Germans call
with affectionate respect "Der Alte", or in English "The Old
One". The Tunku and the Chancellor got along very well together,
both in formal discussions and informal conversations.. As you
know from the communique, the results were a happy reflection of
the mutual friendship and goodwill between Malaya and West
Germany. Trade, investments, technical assistance, medical aid,
exchange of students are all likely or actual consequences of the
talks in Bonn. The future of close relations between the two countries
was firmly charted there.
I will give one final example of the cordiality attending the
Tunku's visits to West Germany. At the State Dinner the Tunku
and the Chancellor sat next to one another and became so engrossed
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