AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, MR. GORDON FREETH, WHO IS VISITING MALAYSIA, YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) TOURED THE R.A.A.F. BASE AT BUTTERWORTH ON THE NORTH-WEST COAST. HE FLEW IN FROM KUALA LUMPUR TO INSPECT TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT WHICH IS TO BE HANDED OVER TOGETHER WITH AUSTRALIA'S GIFT OF 10 SABRE JET FIGHTERS TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT.

MR. FREETH TOURED THE AIRBASE WITH THE COMMANDER, AIR COMMODORE G.H. STEEGE. HE SAT IN A SABRE FLIGHT SIMULATOR WHICH IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE GIFT.

MR. FREETH SAID HE WAS HAPPY WITH THE STANDARD OF MAINTENANCE OF THE BASE AND THAT ALL THE PLANES AND PARTS TO BE HANDED TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT "ARE IN FIRST CLASS CONDITION".

MR. FREETH DISCUSSED WITH AIR COMMODORE STEEGE THE EXTENSION OF THE RUNWAY WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JUNE AND THE TRAINING OF MALAYSIAN PILOTS AT THE BASE TO FLY THE SABRE JETS.

THE SABRE JETS GIFT BY AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER MR. JOHN GORTON WAS DESCRIBED BY HIS MALAYSIAN COUNTERPART, TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN AS A "FINE GESTURE" AND A SHOW OF "TRUE FRIENDSHIP AND GOODWILL."
THE TUNKU ADDED: "AUSTRALIA HAS HELPED US A GREAT DEAL IN OUR DEFENCE. SHE HAS NOT ONLY GIVEN US PLANES BUT ALSO ANTI-AIRCRAFT-GUNS AND RADAR EQUIPMENT.

WITH THE PRESENT MALAYSIA-PHILIPPINES DISPUTE OVER THE SABAH CLAIM, AUSTRALIA HAS ASSURED THE PHILIPPINES THAT THE GIFT OF SABAH GETS TO MALAYSIA WAS FOR REGIONAL SECURITY ONLY AND NOT INTENDED TO RAISE TENSIONS IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA.

MR. FREETH, WHO HAS BEEN ATTENDING THE ECAFE CONFERENCE IN SINGAPORE, WILL LATER VISIT DJAKARTA.