GENERAL ELECTIONS TO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Debate resumed.

3.29 p.m.

Mr Lim Cher Kheng: Sir, I think it is about time for me to end my speech. As to the statement made by the mover of the motion that there was some wild talk to proscribe the P.A.P., I would think that if such an action were taken, it would be wrong. The power to proscribe the P.A.P. does not lie in the hands of any individual, or even in any political Party. It lies in the hands of the people of Singapore. Let the people of Singapore decide when it is time to take action to proscribe the P.A.P.

Sir, I beg to support the motion.

3.30 p.m.

The Chief Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, as indicated by my colleague, the Minister for Health, the Government accepts the motion before the House.

Sir, I have on many occasions said publicly to the Press that the Government does not intend to continue in office beyond 2nd April, 1959. It would appear that statements of this kind given by me to the Press are not accepted by the hon, seconder of the motion as public statements. He has therefore challenged me to state here openly whether or not the Government intends to advise the Governor to hold elections on or before 2nd April, 1959. 1 would like to correct any wrong impression that the members of the public may have because of the wild talk by members of other political Parties that there is in my mind an idea to proscribe the P.A.P. and thereby make the whole thing clear and easy for my Party, my coalition partners and other more democratic political Parties in Singapore. It is ridiculous even for me to have to stand up here and refute such wild rumours coming from the enemies of democracy. If it had been the intention of my Government to proscribe the P.A.P., the time would have been in 1956 and 1957, but not now. In fact, the strong action my Government had taken had helped the P.A.P. to survive today. Therefore any talk of the Government's intention to proscribe the P.A.P. is definitely groundless. We have done all we could for democracy. We have even tried to help the P.A.P. to become more democratic and have given it the opportunity to behave democratically, to the exent of putting in prison those subversive elements who has been the despair of the present leaders of the P.A.P.

I do not know what he meant when the hon. Member for Tanjong Pagar said, "If you put some of us in prison, others who are outside will be able to muster, rally and protest and will certainly fight for those who are inside the prison." Did he mean to include those ex-members of the P.A.P., who are now in prison, detained as subversives? I am sure the general public would be very anxious to know the stand of the P.A.P. today as to whether or not they are still of the firm opinion that those ex-comrades of theirs in Changi Jail are still their comrades-in-arms. A statement from them will definitely clear the air so that the democratic, peace-loving voters of Singapore, will know how and why, if they feel that they should vote for the P.A.P.

Sir, allegations have been levelled at my Government that we desire to continue in office. Members of the Opposition seem to think that it is a lovely thing to be Chief Minister. I have on many occasions in this Assembly said that it is the greatest cross that I have had to bear when this Chief Minister-ship was thrown at me. It is because of my sense of duty to the people of Singapore that I am continuing to carry this cross, and I am indeed glad that I will not be called upon, under the Rendel Constitution, to carry it beyond 2nd April, 1959.

Insinuations have been made too in the speech of the hon. Member for Tanjong Pagar that the new Alliance that we have formed is not strong enough to beat them. It is not for me to reply to these insinuations, Sir,It is for the electorate to do that. The verdict is theirs, and not his.

I am sure that the hon. Member knows that the electoral machinery will require about six weeks at the quickest for elections to be held after the Assembly is dissolved. Under the Legislative Assembly Elections Ordinance, writs will have to be issued as soon as the Assembly is dissolved. It may take a day or two, and then under certain sections of this Ordinance the Governor will have to name the polling day. He will be guided in this, depending on the number of candidates that have been put up for the contest and the length of time required for the election campaign to be held. The period granted for this under the Ordinance is not less than three weeks and not more than eight weeks. In regard to this, Sir, I give an assurance to Members of the Opposition that they will be consulted not long after this sitting as to whether three, four or five weeks is enough; and after this, I shall advise the Governor that it is felt that four weeks - or whatever the period may be - for the election campaign is sufficient. He will then be in a position to inform this Assembly of the probable date of the general elections which will bring into force the new Constitution.

3.37 p.m.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, though this is a very important motion, I am really surprised that the tone of the debate this afternoon has been very mild, except for that of the Member for Changi who gave us some very amusing stories and disclosed some secrets. We could understand him in spite of his Teochew accent, which the Member for Tanjong Pagar criticised. He did create a lively atmosphere in this House. The Member for Tanjong Pagar has no trouble about his English because he has had all the chances of studying the Queen's English and he can certainly easily express himself in such a way that it can be understood that he is speaking the Queen's English and a colonial language. It is surprising that he should criticise a Member of this House for his English, when he knows very well that most of the Members here did not have the same privilege and chances that he had of studying the Queen's English. Furthermore, his livelihood depends on his ability in this respect.

What is most important, Sir, is the context of the motion itself. I remember when the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance was debated in this Assembly, the leader of the P.A.P. - the Member for Tanjong Pagar - said that he would introduce this Ordinance when his Party came into power; but I believe three and a half years ago when the same Ordinance was debated, he was very much against it. Why is it so, Sir? May I ask him: is he really sincere when he says that he will certainly introduce the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance if his Party comes into power?

Mr Speaker: Order. I think if the hon. Member for Tanjong Pagar tries to answer that question, he will be ruled out of order. It is completely irrelevant to the motion. Please stick to the motion.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: I am sorry about this, Sir. I said that because it struck me that this motion was introduced today for some purpose. If not for all the somersaults of the P.A.P., I doubt very much whether this motion will come before the House today. As the Member for Changi has asked, "Why wait until this very hour to table this motion?" If the Member for Tanjong Pagar had been sincere, he could have done so much earlier. He was a member of the All-Party Delegation that went to the United Kingdom for the constitutional talks. He knew very well what the new Constitution would be, and as soon as he came back he could and should have tabled this motion in the Assembly. Why wait until this day to do so?

3.40 p.m.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew rose -

Mr Speaker: Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in reply?

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Yes, Sir. Mr Speaker, Sir, there is only one point worth answering, and it is the question which the Chief Minister has posed me about my ex-comrades in Changi. Mr Speaker, Sir, there is one thing about the P.A.P. which perhaps those who form, un-form and re-form political Parties do not understand. When we form a Party, there are certain abiding principles that bind us together. They were my comrades in 1954 when I formed that Party. They are my comrades now in 1958. They will be my comrades next year. If and when anyone departs from the Party programme and Party policy, then he ceases to be my comrade.

I am surprised that the Chief Minister has chosen to remain silent on the story that two Chief Ministers had met and one had said to the other certain things which should not have been said. However, I am obliged to him for having been honest enough not to have denied something which he must know to have been true.

Sir, I hope when you convey the address of this Assembly to the Governor you will indicate to him that we would be grateful if he could give us a reply in the not too distant future. This is like the trigger of the atomic bomb. Once this motion is passed, assuming that no new laws are passed to intercept the proceedings which will be set afoot, this Assembly will logically and systematically come to its close on 2nd April, 1959. I am grateful to the Chief Minister for having indicated that he is prepared to consult the Opposition on the length of the election campaign.

Mr, Speaker, Sir, I beg to move my motion.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly resolves that it is of the opinion that election writs be issued for General Elections to the Legislative Assembly under the new Constitution on or before April 2, 1959, and that an address be presented to His Excellency the Governor to fix the date for the introduction of the new Constitution in accordance with paragraph 54 of the Report of the Singapore Constitutional Conference 1957 contained in Sessional Paper No. Misc. 2 of 1957.

Mr Speaker: I shall duly present an address to His Excellency the Governor in terms of the Resolution.