CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO CHIEF MINISTER OF FEDERATION ON SUCCESS OF MERDEKA MISSION

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

The Chief Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, today is a great day for the Federation and I would ask leave of you, Sir, and of the hon. Members to waive Standing Orders in order to move,

That this Assembly resolves that Mr Speaker do convey to the Chief Minister of the Federation on behalf of the Assembly and the people of Singapore our sincere congratulations on the success of his Merdeka Mission and the certain prospect that soon our brothers across the Straits will be an independent people within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Mr Speaker: Has the Chief Minister the assent of the Assembly?

Hon. Members indicated assent.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Sir, and in view of your ruling, I have the honour to inform you that I have the consent of His Excellency the Governor to move this motion.

Sir, it is true that we have not got before us the full communique and the full details of the particulars of the success of the Federation Merdeka Mission, and perhaps in the normal course, we should have waited for another day until we were conscious of its full implications before we expressed our congratulations and our joy; but, Sir, today, if I may bring in a personal aspect, is the birthday of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Chief Minister of the Federation.

Sir, as one newspaper has already put it, he is the chief architect of a new nationhood in the world family of independent nations. I have personally known him for six years and during those six years, I have known him as a tireless worker with quiet wisdom in the single-minded thoughts of the freedom of his country. That his country is now on the verge of freedom is, in no small measure, due to him and I trust this Assembly will understand when I say that it is appropriate that these congratulations should have a personal aspect - congratulations not only to the people of the Federation but to the Tunku - and it is for this reason that I anticipate and seek that we should send these congratulations to him on this day, which has personal significance for him as well as great significance for our brothers and neighbours.

Sir, there is enough information from reliable Press sources to indicate that he is happy with the achievements of this Mission; that, in fact, there is every likelihood that our brothers across the Straits will achieve freedom next year. Sir, this is the triumph of a sincere man and of a people who have the sense to recognise his ability and his sincerity - a people who gave him unstinting support. There is no P.A.P. in the Federation.

There have been, Sir, and there are matters of irritation, matters of difference between Singapore and the Federation. Probably there will be for quite some time. In what family are brothers in absolute and complete harmony? Basically, Sir, we in Singapore are at one with the Federation and its people. Their troubles are our troubles, their welfare our welfare, and their joy our joy. We feel for them - I feel for them - more than a matter of respect, something that goes deeper than affection, and on this great and thrilling day for the Federation, all irritations and all differences are swept aside and I know we will all join together to tell the Federation and its great leader of our unbounded joy and our unalloyed gladness. In the normal course, Sir, we would be happy to hear of any country that escapes the vulture clutches of colonialism, but when it comes to our brothers and the Federation so near to us, Sir, this is a moment that is deeper than words can express.

I therefore ask and I hope that by its unanimity the House can show its feelings, though the words are poor, that you do, in the name of this Assembly and of the people of Singapore, express to the Chief Minister of the Federation and through him to the people of his country our joy, our congratulations and our good wishes. May their freedom come soon! May it mean peace, prosperity and a glorious future! Sir, I beg to move.

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this motion.

Today, I stand in this Assembly as the representative of the newly formed Liberal-Socialist Party. You will have noticed, Sir, that the Progressive and the Democratic Parties have become one, and today I speak as the leader of this largest group of Assemblymen in the Opposition.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Hurrah!

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Certainly, Sir, all Singapore will rejoice at this, save the destructive P.A.P.!

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Wait till you get fixed at the next election!

Mr Speaker: Order, please.

Mr Lim Choon Mong: As the Hon. the Chief Minister has said, today is indeed a great day - a day of rejoicing. We, who are living in Asia; we, who have seen many countries being dictated to from foreign lands, are indeed glad that today the Tunku has announced that the Federation of Malaya will soon throw away the shackles of foreign power and domination. Our sister across the Straits is about the nearest land to us, and we know that the two territories are inter-dependent on each other. The Federation is now on its way to freedom. We hope, Sir, that we will be on that same road to independence. We have fought and we will keep on fighting to attain independence. The announcement today gives us courage in this House to keep on fighting and see that we get even greater things. We have always led in such matters of constitutional advances. We hope, Sir, that we will keep that lead and that we will come out as two independent territories. In all probability, Sir, later on, we will have a Confederation of Malaya. I therefore, Sir, feel that it is not only a duty but a joy to support this motion.

Question proposed.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, this is a somewhat different occasion from the last one when the Hon. the Chief Minister moved a resolution which was seconded by this side of the House. In times of stress and strain, they look to the P.A.P. for support. In times of joy and rejoicing, they look for fair weather friends, those who, like themselves, enjoy the flesh-pots of life. They look across to the newly-formed Socialists to support this resolution.

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Better men -

Mr Speaker: Order, please.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: I hope the Chief Minister of the Federation, when he receives this message, will understand that we wish him, and through him the people of the Federation, every success not only in winning Merdeka but in making it work. But I would refrain from joining the Hon. the Chief Minister in taking a personal line in congratulating Tunku Abdul Rahman - not because I think less highly of him than the Hon. the Chief Minister does, but because I feel that in the fight for freedom it is not individuals, however great, however illustrious, however able, who make the difference. It is the whole movement. It is the spirit which inspires the whole generation. The people of the Federation have shown unequivocably in the last ten years since the British returned to Malaya that they will have none of it.

We also notice that on occasions such as this, our new-found Socialist comrades on this side of the House talk of fighting for freedom. They want to lead the fight. I often wonder whom they are thinking of fighting, because they have been so long in this game that I think they have forgotten whom they were fighting against, for what they were fighting, and for whom they were fighting.

We have had this morning a glimpse of the old Chief Minister when he told us that he was ashamed of this constitution, that he was but a shadow Minister, and that we must fight and struggle on for independence. I knew that sooner or later he would come back to a complete circle. First he downs it. Then he says, in moments of elation and joy, "I am the Government. We are the Government. We represent you." Then in moments of depression he says, "We are shadow Ministers. Things are not working. Out with colonialism!" Every time they say "Out with colonialism", we are with them; but every time they say "We are the Government", we stand on the side-lines and watch them and ask, "How long will it be before he goes back one complete circle?"

One thing about the Federation's Chief Minister - this is perhaps the only personal note I will touch on in referring to that distinguished gentleman - is that he has the great quality of knowing when not to say anything. That is a great advantage, because it saves him the inconvenience of having to deny what was said or what was said wrongly. In spite of all his difficulties, he has succeeded, in a matter of fact way, in bringing home to the people of Malaya and to the Government in Britain that there are two alternatives for the British in Malaya. One, to fight the nationalists and the Communists, in which case there will be, as the Hon. the Chief Minister of Singapore has said, chaos. Two, to take a more sensible approach and say, "This fight is finished, and should have been finished years ago. Let us sort it out. Let us give back to the people of Malaya what has been taken away from them for so long."

The Minister for Communications and Works (Mr Francis Thomas): What about the Communists?

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: I am told, Mr Speaker, Sir -

The Chief Minister: He is a boot-licker!

Mr Speaker: Order.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do wish that if the Hon. the Chief Minister wishes to hurt me, he should do so in words that are full of dignity, full of passion -

The Chief Minister: Commissar!

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Sir that has neither dignity nor passion. I could, if he wished, compile a set of words which I think he might find useful whenever he is annoyed with Members on this side of the House.

The Chief Minister: Teach yourself!

Mr Speaker: Order, please.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Chief Minister of the Federation and his Government has a gigantic task ahead of them. No one knows better than he himself and his colleagues, how great that task is. He has got to make half independence work in order that he can get full independence, and he has to do it under the most difficult and adverse conditions. But he has this one great advantage. He has an organisation, and it is to that organisation that he owes the great success of his Merdeka Mission. We are confident that he will succeed in his talks and we wish him the very best, for if he fails, then we are not likely to succeed.

Those of us who sometimes talk of unity and confederation do not understand that Singapore is the shop-window of Malaya. This is the little place where people come and do their buying and their selling. This is also the little laboratory where the British, the nationalists and the Communists first try out their tactics, because if anything goes wrong, it goes wrong on a small scale. But in the Federation, they go back to have the showdown. So when we say that we want to get closer to the Federation, what we really mean is that we should do away with this mockery of two independent states, two "independent" colonies - one a colony and the other a sui-generis protectorate-cum-colony. But one of the most damaging -

The Chief Minister: Cum, cum, let us finish!

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do wish that the Hon. the Chief Minister would -

The Chief Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, on a point of order. Is the speaker speaking to the motion? Cum, cum!

Mr Speaker: I have been wondering whether what is being said is relevant, but perhaps the hon. Member will come to the point.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, I was commenting on what my friend the Member for Serangoon (Mr Lim Choon Mong) had said. He had said that he wanted confederation after the two territories have become independent. The point is that if the two territories become independent separately, they will never get together. The chances of the two territories ever combining after they have both got a vested interest in their own different kinds of independence would make it impossible for any confederation in the near or distant future. So whilst we send the Chief Minister of the Federation our sincere congratulations, we must remind ourselves that now is the time to begin associating more closely with the success of the democratic process in the Federation.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I heartily support this motion to wish the Tunku and his colleagues all success.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion before the House. The Member for Serangoon, leader of the newly-formed Liberal-Socialist Party, has already said that he is seconding the motion before the House on behalf of his Party, of which I am one of the members. But I am also sure that the two Labour Members on our side will also join when I am speaking for them -

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Join which Party?

The Chief Minister: Have they gone over?

Mr Speaker: Order, please.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Will you please allow me to speak, Mr Speaker?

Mr Speaker: I have called the Assembly to order, Mr Jumabhoy.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: The Members of the Labour Front who are on our side, is that quite clear? Sir, while congratulating the Tunku and his people, I must say that the achievement was due to his hold on the people by getting 99 per cent of the elected members on his side. No government on earth can ever refuse such a man his demand for freedom. He has achieved this, and achieved rightly, because he has the whole people's backing behind him -

The Chief Minister: And so, Mr R. Jumabhoy?

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Well, the time might come when the Government, aware of its responsibility and out of respect, feels that it should not be leading or ruling this country with the help of the colonial power -

The Chief Minister: We will not have to, because of our self-respect.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: It is not a matter of whether the Hon. the Chief Minister wants me or not. I am in this Assembly by my own right. I do not stand here at his pleasure or anybody's pleasure.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Hear, hear! Fight him!

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Sir, before the election I happened to meet Tunku Abdul Rahman in the Federation, and he told me, "Mr Jumabhoy, I will never dare to form a Government unless I have a 75 per cent majority on my side." To the surprise of all, he has got 99 per cent. Who can say No to him?

One thing more, Sir. From this platform that I am speaking, I will ask the Tunku a question when he returns. Is it a credit to U.M.N.O. that his Party in Singapore should support this undemocratic Government prevailing over here?

Mr Speaker: Order, Mr R. Jumabhoy.

The Chief Minister: Sir, when is this -

Mr Speaker: Order, Mr Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister: I consider him to be a - [Interruption.]

Mr R. Jumabhoy: I do not - [Interruption.]

Mr Speaker: Order, order.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Do you allow this word, Sir?

Mr Speaker: I never heard that word. I want to have order in this Assembly. I have certain powers and I think hon. Members know the powers I have when I am presiding in this Assembly. I will not have unseemly utterances, unseemly words and irrelevant speeches. I pulled the hon. Member up before the Chief Minister because I thought he was perhaps getting a little irrelevant. The motion simply is,

That this Assembly resolves that Mr Speaker do convey to the Chief Minister of the Federation our sincere congratulations.

That is all. I cannot see how any remarks about other Governments can be relevant, and therefore I ask the hon. Member to stick to the motion and let us get on with our business.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Is it creditable for the Hon. the Chief Minister, representing the Government, to use such words to a Member of the Assembly? I did not know, Sir, that you did not hear!

The Chief Minister: May I answer?

Mr Speaker: Order, order, let us have some order. I would first like to hear of the word that has been spoken. Will you please repeat that word, Mr R. Jumabhoy?

Mr R. Jumabhoy: You had better ask him, Sir.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: No, you tell him!

Mr Speaker: I must have some order in this House. If any hon. Member rises on a point of order, he must first explain his point of order. I will not ask any other Member to explain that point of order. If the Member for Telok Ayer wishes to raise a point of order, let us have it.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Mr Speaker, Sir, continuing with this motion before the House, I have already described what power the Tunku holds over his people and I am glad that with that power he has got everything that he wanted.

Mr M. P. D. Nair (Seletar): Mr Speaker, Sir, in the first instance, I thought that it was not for me to speak on this motion since the leader of the Government and the leaders of the Opposition have already voiced their agreement with this motion, but because both Members of the Opposition have stated that they are speaking for their Party, I think that it is a good thing to speak as an Independent.

I regret, Sir, that this motion has been the subject of very bad remarks coming from both the Government and Opposition Benches. I think, Sir, that Members of the Assembly should always be broad-minded in their remarks.

Mr Speaker: I must rule that that is completely irrelevant. It does not touch at all on the motion. Let us get on with it.

Mr Nair: Sir, I was only suggesting that we should not have adopted a cat and dog policy in this debate.

Sir, I fully associate myself with the sentiments expressed on this motion. There is one outstanding thing which I would mention in this debate, and that is that the Federation has achieved self-government in a most orderly manner, without violence and without much difficulty. The Chief Minister of the Federation also has the support not only of all Parties but also of all the people in that territory. We in Singapore look forward to our independence under the guidance of the Hon. the Chief Minister and the delegation which will very shortly be proceeding to the United Kingdom, and I hope that this Assembly will have another opportunity for joyful congratulations when we get our independence.

Mr Lee Choon Eng (Queenstown): Mr Speaker, Sir, frankly speaking I had no intention of speaking on this motion, because a motion of this nature will definitely receive the support of every Member of this House, irrespective of what political Party he belongs to. But what prompts me to speak is the remark made by the Member for Telok Ayer (Mr R. Jumabhoy) that he was speaking on behalf of the Member for Farrer Park (Mr A. R. Lazarous) and myself. As a matter of fact, the Member for Farrer Park and I have not allied ourselves to any Party yet. Though from the Labour Front and though we have crossed the Floor, we stand as Independents and we take issues independently, according to our own conscience and our own views.

This message to the Tunku is the real keynote of this House in that it will indicate to the people of Singapore that, following in the footsteps of the Tunku, we will achieve independence in the near future.

On behalf of the Member for Farrer Park and myself, I do wish the Tunku every success and congratulation.

Question put, and agreed to.

Mr Speaker: Is it the wish of hon. Members that the resolution be recorded nemine contradicente?

Hon. Members indicated assent.

Resolved, nemine contradicente, -

That this Assembly resolves that Mr Speaker do convey to the Chief Minister of the Federation on behalf of the Assembly and the people of Singapore our sincere congratulations on the success of his Merdeka Mission and the certain prospect that soon our brothers across the Straits will be an independent people within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Mr Speaker: I shall take great pleasure in conveying that message.