MERGER (SINGAPORE/FEDERATION OF MALAYA) (White Paper)

Debate resumed.

Mr Chan Chee Seng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not use unreasonable terms to deal with this serious question in this Assembly. I want to pinpoint on the amendment moved by the Member for Queenstown. I oppose his amendment because it is inopportune and unrealistic. Its purpose, as has been clearly shown by the Barisan Sosialis, is entirely to oppose merger. Why should they talk about genuine merger? They talk about Singapore becoming the twelfth State of the new Federation. They talk about Singapore citizens automatically becoming citizens of the Federation. All this is an eyewash. Let us not try to deceive ourselves. Let all the people of Singapore know now that the Barisan Sosialis are opposed to merger. Their defection from the P.A.P. is because the P.A.P. Government supports and has arranged for a merger with the Federation Government. That is why they had to resort to any means and tactics to break away from the P.A.P. Therefore, their talk about genuine merger and all the rest of it is only to hoodwink the people or calculated to blind their vision. Their true purpose is to delay the implementation of merger and to sabotage any conditions for the merger of a true democratic country. Therefore, we can say that the true purpose of the amendment moved by the Member for Queenstown is to sabotage the work of merger. They know that merger is now in view. They cannot stop it. But on the other hand, they are afraid of merger because they know that after merger, internal security will be in the hands of a strong Central Government of the Federation. The Communist forces, which they represent, cannot develop in Singapore any more. On the contrary, they will be checked. They are afraid of merger. But they cannot stop merger from coming into effect. How can they delay merger? They must find some way to delay merger, to delay the unpleasant day from coming. They have thought out a condition to make the people of Singapore afraid of accepting merger. They have also thought out some conditions which cannot be acceptable to the Government of the Federation. The method is contained in the amendment.

Everybody knows that Singapore and the Federation of Malaya have been separated for more than ten years. Irrespective of economy and politics, Singapore has its own special peculiarities and characteristics which are different from the Federation. The Federation also have their peculiar policies which cannot be carried out in Singapore.

Now the Barisan Sosialis want a complete merger between Singapore and the Federation of Malaya, and Singapore to be the twelfth State of the Federation. In other words, they want Singapore to follow the same policy of livelihood as that pursued in the Federation. Can this be accepted by the people of Singapore? Singapore is a trading port for the Federation to export its goods. The imports and exports of the Federation have to be directed through Singapore. Therefore, a great portion of materials needed by the Federation are preserved in Singapore. Taxes and revenues are also in the hands of the Singapore Government. The Government can use this public money to improve the livelihood of the people. It can carry out all kinds of social welfare and other services. Therefore, the average national income is more than that of the Federation of Malaya. The public money spent by the Singapore Government on social and other services is much more than that spent by the Federation Government. The social services and other benefits enjoyed by the people of Singapore are of a higher standard and more than those enjoyed by the people of the Federation. Now, if Singapore were to be completely merged with the Federation of Malaya and become its twelfth State, it would mean that the people of Singapore would have to give up their higher standard of living. They would have to adapt themselves to the conditions in the Federation. Can the people of Singapore agree to this?

Now, let us examine objectively what kind of situation Singapore will be in if we were to agree to the amendment moved by the Barisan Sosialis.

1. If according to the Barisan Sosialis' type of merger, Singapore is completely merged with the Federation of Malaya to become the twelfth State, the present social services and allowances now enjoyed by the people will decrease. This is because social services are pan-Malayan. The policy of Singapore's social services will have to follow that obtaining in the Federation. Everyone knows that the average social aid is illustrative of what the people of Singapore get. Can the people of Singapore accept this situation?

7.04 p.m.

[Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr John Mammen) in the Chair]

Mr Chan Chee Seng: (In Mandarin): 2. If we follow the method of the Barisan Sosialis, the examinations in Singapore's Chinese schools will be effected in the English or Malay medium. Chinese students in Chinese schools cannot write their answers in Chinese. That is what is being done now in the Federation of Malaya. Under a complete merger, Singapore will have to follow suit. Can the Chinese parents in Singapore or the present students accept this?

3. If we go according to the Barisan Sosialis' method, the Bank of China in Singapore and other foreign banks will have to close down, because at present there is a law in the Federation of Malaya which prohibits foreign banks from carrying out business in the Federation. Under a complete merger, this law will be applicable to Singapore and bank staff will be unemployed. I think, perhaps, the Barisan Sosialis do not want to see this. Perhaps they like to see that there are more unemployed. The more the merrier. They want to see a confused situation. What we must take into serious consideration is that, if we go according to the way of the Barisan Sosialis, then our free port status will be affected and the merchants of Singapore will suffer. Will the merchants of Singapore agree to that?

4. Under a complete merger, products from China, such as textiles, cannot be imported into Singapore because this is the present policy of the Federation of Malaya.

Apart from these, there are many other things which cannot be adjusted so very easily at this moment. I have only enumerated some objective problems existing in the two territories. Of course, we entirely agree in principle to a full and complete merger, because basically this will solve our social and economic problems. But as I have already said just now, there exist between the two territories numerous divergencies and differences. Since there exist different objectives, environments and circumstances, therefore, to carry out a complete merger immediately would only cause very great confusion among the people. So this is a road that cannot be followed. Only adventurers will, for the sake of their own personal interests, accept such a course that will be detrimental to the interests of the people.

A complete merger of Singapore with the Federation of Malaya will happen one day, but its coming cannot be as what the Member for Queenstown has suggested, i.e., through his amendment. Before the coming of a true merger of Singapore with the Federation of Malaya, we must prepare the groundwork of laying the foundations for a final merger. In this respect -

Tun Lim Yew Hock rose -

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr John Mammen): On a point of order?

Tun Lim Yew Hock: On a point of order, Sir. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I refer you to Standing Order No. 6. There is at present not a sufficient quorum in this House.

Mr Deputy Speaker: This is a point of order. I will ask the Clerk to ring the bell.

7.11 p.m.

Members summoned into the Chamber as if for a division.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Speaker: I have no need to count the Assembly now. There are more than 13 Members. That is a sufficient quorum. The debate goes on. I do hope the Speaker will be given an opportunity to rest. Mr Chan Chee Seng.

[Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr John Mammen) in the Chair]

7.14 p.m.

Mr Chan Chee Seng: (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the complete merger of Singapore with the Federation will ultimately arrive. But its arrival is not like what the Member for Queens-town has said. The Member for Queens-town has said that to achieve it, he need only move an amendment. Before a complete merger of Singapore with the Federation can take place, we will have to pave the way for it. We have to lay a firm foundation for the ultimate merger of the two territories. On this point, I believe the P.A.P. proposed merger in this transitional period is realistic, practical, objective and feasible. It will lay down good foundations for the ultimate merger of the two territories. We will talk about this in other motions.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the amendment moved by the Member for Queenstown is intended to mislead the people. That is why I oppose it. A few days ago he uttered weak and empty words. He tried to convince all of us that the purpose of the motion was to mislead and confuse the people and to divert attention from the real issue. Therefore, we have to expose his intention. He wants to entice the people by saying that the citizens of Singapore should automatically become citizens of the Federation. This is an attractive request. But, in fact, everyone of us knows that this demand is not acceptable to the Federation Government. The hon. Member's intention is to create discontent among the people and mutual suspicion among the communities. Moreover, he wants to embarrass the Federation Government. Judging from the nature of the amendment moved, we can easily put forward all sorts of demands. We can even ask for the moon and the stars in the sky, but we have to consider whether our demands are reasonable or not, whether they are feasible, and whether they are in the interests of the people or in accordance with their aspirations. All of us know that there are citizenship laws in the Federation. Anyone who wants to become a Federal citizen has to apply in accordance with the citizenship laws in the Federation and not in accordance with the laws of the Member for Queenstown.

The Barisan Sosialis also proposed that Singapore should merge with the Federation on the basis of Penang or Malacca. But in the 7½ hour speech of the Member for Queenstown, there was no mention of Malacca and Penang because the Minister for Finance has taught him a lesson and he has now become wiser. Now let me ask him questions about the citizenship rights of the people of Malacca and Penang. Can all the people in Malacca and Penang become Federal citizens automatically? Or can they become citizens of the Federation according to the law of the Member for Queenstown? Can Singapore citizens become Federal citizens by using the same Law? We have to base our arguments on practical circumstances. We should not try to sabotage the merger negotiations between Singapore and the Federation by putting forward unreasonable demands.

We now come back to the question of Penang and Malacca. The situation in these two places is not like what the Member for Queenstown said. Only those people born in Penang and Malacca can become Federal citizens. The other people have to apply for Federal citizenship. Why do the Barisan Sosialis not ask that Singapore should merge with the Federation on the basis of Penang or Malacca? Do they realise that what they asked for before and what they propose now is not the same thing?

Just now the Member for Choa Chu Kang has said that his stand is resolute and firm and that he never changes it. I want to ask the Members opposite, when they were in the P.A.P., -

Tun Lim Yew Hock: We were never in the P.A.P.!

Mr Chan Chee Seng: (In Mandarin): I mean the Members who belong to the Barisan Sosialis, they also said that our stand was very firm. But today when they are in the Opposition, they say that their stand is firm, and tomorrow when they sell out the people's rights, they will also say that they are very firm in their stand. They are firm in putting forward demands which are not in accordance with objective realities. The Barisan Sosialis do not even know what they want. How can the people expect them to put forward more reasonable demands?

We know that what the Barisan Sosialis want is not merger. We know that they want to oppose merger. They want Singapore to be still under British colonialism so that they can smoothly carry out their under-ground and above-ground activities.

I remember a few days ago some Members of the Barisan Sosialis quoted many historical events and phases from Chinese history. They likened the Federation to the Manchu Dynasty which conquered China. This sort of talk is very dangerous. It will cause suspicion and racial conflict between the people of the two territories. Therefore, I want to advise our friends in the Opposition that they should be careful about what they say. If they support merger in principle, then they should not make speeches which would cause a feeling of uneasiness in the two territories.

7.27 p.m.

Mr Tan Cheng Tong (Jalan Kayu): (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, just now I have heard the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs talk about a lot of things. I feel that what he has said is contradictory to what his Ministers have said.

Yesterday the Minister for Finance-said that we did not break away from the P.A.P. over the question of merger, but just now the Parliamentary Secretary has said that we did so because of the P.A.P.'s proposed merger.

The Parliamentary Secretary also touched on the educational problem. He asked whether we would agree with the education policy of the Federation. I think what he said was on the same lines as what the Minister for Education said two days ago. He also said that true merger was good but not realistic. Why should the Party in power want to use terms in their motion to confuse the people? Merger is only a name. If there is to be a merger, then we should have a genuine merger and they should not make use of the term "merger" to confuse the people. The motion of the Minister for Labour runs like this:

'That, whereas it has always been the avowed objective of all nationalists of Malaya to achieve the reunification of Singapore with the Federation of Malaya and to remove the artificial division created by the British by their policy of "divide and rule", this House affirms and declares that the first objective of all true patriots of Malaya is to achieve the reunification of these two territories in a merger of Singapore with the Federation of Malaya.'

The terms of this motion mean that there should be a merger, and if there is merger, it should be a genuine merger. They should not use the word "merger" to deceive the people. I feel that the speeches of the P.A.P. leadership are not sincere. They should learn from the Tunku and say that this kind of merger is a partnership. It will be more correct if they use the word "partnership", and not the word "merger" to confuse the people.

Mr Deputy Speaker, let me return to the point. Let me talk on the amendment moved by our Chairman. I fully support it because it is based on a stand which is truly for the benefit and interests of the people of the two territories. It is unbiased and just. It is the correct way to deal with true merger of Singapore with the Federation, and with the language issue. It meets with the wishes and desires of the people of the two territories. It also reflects the stand of the Barisan Sosialis on merger between the two territories.

The Chairman of the Barisan Sosialis has spent 7½ hours to analyse and to deal with what the Prime Minister has in a few months spread among the people - misgivings and discontent. Our Chairman has dealt with all this. The Prime Minister has been creating artificial tension among the people. He wants to divert their attention from the fact that he is selling them out. He has also analysed the special characteristics existing in the two territories, and of the socialist forces that are now growing and developing, especially the Barisan Sosialis, which is a new political force in Singapore. Its strength must have caused some apprehension in the leadership of the P.A.P. and made them run to the Federation to fall on all fours to beg for help from the Tunku.

On the question of citizenship rights, our Chairman has clearly pointed out that we are concerned with the rights of the citizens of Singapore, and we have to clarify our stand on this. He has also pointed out the deceits and hypocrisy of the P.A.P. He has pointed out that the P.A.P. has not only deprived the citizens of Singapore of their citizenship rights, but has also intended to sell out the basic democratic rights of the people of Singapore. What we want is a genuine merger - Singapore entering into the Federation of Malaya, as a State. All Singapore citizens on the day of merger should automatically become citizens of the Federation. All this shows that what we, the Barisan Sosialis, want is a genuine merger in which there is integrity and a reunification of the two territories. We resolutely oppose the phoney merger of the P.A.P. We have also declared that we want to retain the basic citizenship rights of the citizens of Singapore on merger. In order to preserve the basic rights of the citizens of Singapore and the interests of the people of Singapore, however adverse the circumstances and conditions, we the Barisan Sosialis will resolutely -

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Mr Lee Khoon Choy): On a point of order, Sir. I see that the Member is reading his speech.

Mr Deputy Speaker: It is a point of order, but I think the Member is not reading but occasionally referring to his speech. Mr Tan Cheng Tong.

Mr Tan Cheng Tong: (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, your ruling is correct. I must show my admiration for you.

We also intend to carry out a fight against the intriguers who want to sell out the citizenship rights of the people of Singapore. We know that with the sell-out of their citizenship rights, Singapore citizens will lose all their interests. Therefore, in order to safeguard their present and future interests, we the Barisan Sosialis must point out what the basic conditions for true merger are. We must expose the phoney merger of the P.A.P.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the debate today is mainly for all Assemblymen to ponder carefully over this question of genuine merger. On this question there has already been a debate for several months. From the result of the debate on this question, we can find out who are, in fact, representatives of the people and work for the interests of the people, and who are hypocritical and deceiving.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. If the translation is correct, I think the word "hypocritical" is used. I ask the hon. Member to withdraw that word.

Mr Tan Cheng Tong: (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, I withdraw this word.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the true picture is very clear now. Speaking as a member of the Barisan Sosialis, our stand on merger is in accordance with the wishes and desires of all classes of people. Therefore, we are always resolutely working along this line. We want to fight for a complete genuine merger of the two territories, Singapore and the Federation of Malaya, and to reunify the two territories. The views of the Barisan Sosialis are that we must achieve true complete merger of the two territories, to eliminate all colonial forces remaining in the two territories, and to seek more freedom and democratic rights. Under these circumstances, the two territories can then enjoy real happiness. Therefore, in accordance with the terms of our amendment, there are three conditions for merger of the two territories, namely, that the citizens of Singapore should on the day of merger automatically become citizens of the Federation. If these citizens of Singapore cannot automatically become citizens of the Federation after merger, then the people of Singapore will be losing many important political rights. This is what everybody can understand. It cannot be refuted. Only when the citizens of the two territories enjoy the same citizenship rights can they enjoy equal political rights and other benefits.

Let me give an example. Let us look at the P.A.P.'s phoney merger. According to this type of merger, the citizens of Singapore cannot enjoy the same citizenship rights as the citizens of the Federation. The citizens of Singapore then cannot take part in political activities in the various States of the Federation, to form big Parties and to stand for election in the various States. Under these circumstances, whenever the Federation Central Government takes reactionary and dictatorial measures, the people of Singapore will be suppressed and they will not be able to seek redress. On the other hand, if they can have common citizenship rights, then if the Federation Government ignores public opinion, or if they suppress the people in the two territories, then the people in the two territories can unite and oppose the unreasonable policies pursued by the Government. The people in these two territories can unite through the system of one man one vote, and elect a new government which represents the people's interests.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, all these comparisons are based on the premises that we have common citizenship rights and functions. This shows that with basic citizenship rights, we can enjoy political rights.

Now I want to talk about the economic problems of the people in relation to the merger issue. If a person in Singapore wants to go to the Federation to open up new land and cultivate it, or if he wants to open a farm in the Federation, then without a real merger - when the citizens of Singapore and the Federation are not enjoying the same citizenship rights - this person will be frustrated in his desire to open a new farm. If a rich person wants to start a new business in the Federation, then, because he does not enjoy the same rights as the Federation citizens, he will be thwarted. He cannot even carry on his business. If a person wants to apply for a taxi licence but he is not a Federal citizen, then he cannot achieve his aim. In short, whether looking at this problem from the daily lives of the people or from the economic point of view, the importance of citizenship rights is indisputable.

Therefore, we the Barisan Sosialis advocate that on Merger Day the citizens of Singapore must automatically become Federal citizens. Our demand is a just one.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to reiterate what our Party Chairman said at, a mass rally. I think it is necessary to bring out this question. We can show that we are honest, serious and careful on the question of merger. We can also expose the groundless accusations made by the Ministers when they said that we were sabotaging merger, that we were insincere about merger, and that we were not nationalists. We can also expose the fact that they tried to divert the people's attention from the real problem. In the course of the debate on this question, they want to confuse us with all these minor points. The Government has made use of the opinion of the State Advocate-General to illustrate their points. It is useless to do so. His opinion is useless.

There are four questions. Now I wish to quote from our Party pamphlet because our views on the question of merger are propounded in this pamphlet. One of our four conditions is that through the system of one man one vote we can establish a more just society. Secondly, without the right of automatic citizenship will those Singapore citizens who have no Federal citizenship be discriminated against and suppressed? Thirdly, if people in Singapore do not have Federal citizenship, will they have freedom of speech and the right of assembly and organisation in the Federation? Fourthly, can the trade union movement in Singapore be unified? Will the workers in the two territories be united to fight for better working conditions? Will graduates from Singapore schools be eligible to work in the Federation civil service? Will Nan-yang University graduates be discriminated against in the Federation? Will those people who have no Federal citizenship, i.e. merchants, contractors and bus companies, be restricted in their business in the Federation? Will the people in Singapore be able to acquire land in the Federation? Will the socialists in Singapore be able to go to the Federation to take part in political activities there? Are all these questions, after merger, in any way connected with citizenship rights?

Mr Deputy Speaker, why have I raised these questions? Why have I put forward these four questions? My contention is that although we have been debating this question for seven days, the Prime Minister and some of the Assemblymen have not given a clear-cut view of the matter and have not answered these questions. This shows that we are cautious and very sincere in our approach to the question of merger.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, why did our Party Chairman reiterate that we should have a genuine merger? It is because we want to prevent the P.A.P. from passing off a phoney merger as a real merger. We know that the P.A.P. conspiracy in putting forward the phoney merger proposal is to confuse the people. They have deceived the people many times. They always put forward plausible, vague, ambiguous, dubious and sophisticated arguments-the so-called independence, autonomy in. labour and education, that merger will solve the problems of the people, and all this talk on merger.

In order not to allow the P.A.P. to mislead the people on the question of merger, we have put forward genuine proposals for a genuine merger under which, when Singapore is merged with the Federation as the twelfth State of the Federation, all Singapore citizens will automatically become Federation citizens on Merger Day. The basic rights of the people in Singapore will not be sold out by this phoney merger proposal. We will not fall into the trap of these plotters.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. Moment of interruption. Mr Rajaratnam.