ABSTRACT
The general view of Malik’s motives is well summarized by US intelligence: Malik saw the conference as a means of asserting Indonesia’s desire for Southeast Asian regional leadership, of bolstering his government’s and his own prestige, and of forestalling pressures from abroad and from Indonesian generals (who equate Lon Nol’s ouster of Sihanouk with their own overthrow of Sukarno) for the provision of more concrete aid to Cambodia.9 Anwar Sani, (director of political affairs, ministry of foreign affairs, Indonesia) in his meeting in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, however, flatly rejected the view that Malik’s pursuit of the Asian conference was motivated by the alleged pressure of Indonesian generals to take stronger action in support of Lon Nol.10 Whatever the reasons, most importantly, Malik had the full backing of President Suharto.11
