Typed 'Secret-Rahsia' intelligence document from the Special Branch, Royal Malaysia Police, titled 'GUIDE TO AGENT HANDLING'. With part of covering memo from Abdul Rahman bin Hashim, 'Pengarah Chawangan Khas, b.p. Ketua Polis Negara'.

The 'Guide' is 18pp., foolscap 8vo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Divided into 92 sections, with headings: 'Agent Handling', 'Agent Security', 'Meetings and Communications', 'Arrangements for Physical Meetings', 'Telephone Communication', 'Accommodation Address', 'Live Letter Box', 'Dead Letter Box', 'Conduct of Meetings', 'Payment to Agents', 'Contact Notes', 'Scrambling and Filing of Information', 'Agent's Personal File', 'Training and Advancement of Agent', 'Discarding an Agent', 'General Comment'. Dated at end 'MAR 66'. A revealing document. See, for example: '56. A person who works solely for the purpose of obtaining money is seldom likely to prove a good agent. Although money is usually a necessary incentive it is highly desirable that there should be some better motive, such as willingness to assist Government in combatting organisations working against the best interests of the country. It is acceptable that, in many cases, the motive might be purely personal but, provided the reasons are worthwhile, there is no real objection to this. For example there is no reason why a person who genuinely desires to better himself, or a member of his family, should not make a good agent.' and '87. In all agent cases of agent handling it is necessary to consider at intervals what does agent know about us, and what danger could he do if he turned "sour". In this context the possibility of penetration by a double agent must not be overlooked, particularly in cases where the agent has shown reluctance to work for us initially. There have been a number of cases concerning youth members of satellite organisations who have either turned "sour" after recruitment or passed back information about their Special Branch dealings to the organisation against which their agent efforts have been directed.' Stapled to it is the last page of the two-page covering memo from Hashim, with facsimile of his signature, in which he states that 'Copies are being sent to all States and Contingents for action along the lines I have suggested. Each copy has been marked and should be issued to the relevant individual for retention in his D.P.H.O.F.' A list of recipients of copies nos. 13 to 24 follows, with 13 going to 'Special Branch Training School'. '(Copy No. 15) has been underlined in red ink, with a tick beside the recipient 'ACE2(M)', which is the codename of C. A. A. Nicol, from whose private papers the 'Guide' comes. Nicol joined the Malayan Union Police Force in 1950, and served in the Royal Malaysian Police between 1957 and 1967, 'to assist in promoting and consolidating the successful transition to full independence. During this period the Special Branch played a vital role in maintaining peace and security in the country.'