UNION WITH THE FEDERATION (Statement by the Chief Minister)

The Chief Minister (Mr D. S. Marshall): Sir, at the last sitting I promised this House a statement on the state of negotiations with the Government of the Federation on the subject of union between Singapore and the Federation.

Since the appointment of Tunku Abdul Rahman as Chief Minister of the Federation, some of my colleagues and I have been in constant consultation with him and his colleagues on this subject. The Chief Minister of the Federation and I are satisfied that a union between the two territories is desirable. The paramount task of the Federation Government, however, the Chief Minister considers to be an early finalisation of the new constitution, and in order that there should be no suggestion of delay or limitation of the constitution that they hope for, we have agreed, at his suggestion, to commence official discussions of a merger between the two territories after the new Federation Constitution has been finalised.

I will be glad to clarify any aspect of that statement which may not be clear to the Assembly.

Mr John Ede (Tanglin): Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Chief Minister state whether we are to understand that the crisis he referred to on his return from Switzerland has now been averted?

Mr Speaker: The question does not arise.