PROCEEDINGS ON MOTIONS ON REFERENDUM ON REUIFICATION OF SINGAPORE AND FEDERATION OF MALAYA, REFERENDUM ON MERGER, AND OPPOSITION'S STAND ON MERGER (Business Motion)

The Prime Minister: Sir, I beg to move,

That the proceedings on the motion in regard to a referendum being held for the people to decide between two alternatives of reunification standing in my name, and the motion in the names of the Members for Anson and Queenstown that the people of Singapore shall be asked only one question on Polling Day and that Government shall name Polling Day as a day four weeks from the date of the Order therefor, and another motion in the names of the Members for Queenstown and Upper Serangoon that the House condemns the Government for its dishonest and malicious distortion of the Opposition's stand on the merger issue, shall all be brought to a conclusion at 12 midnight on the 11th July, 1962. Mr Speaker, Sir, we have estimated a debating time of 2 to 3 days for these three items. They are issues which have already been discussed over and over again at considerable length, and no doubt Members of the Opposition would want some considerable time to restate all their propositions in as interesting a way as I hope they can. Mr Speaker, Sir, it gives us roughly 24 hours of debating time, the House sitting from 2.30 p.m. to 12 midnight on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, if the Third Reading of the Referendum Bill finishes earlier today - as I think it would be earlier than 12 midnight - then no doubt the debating time will be suitably extended by the rapidity with which conclusions on the Third Reading are brought to a close.

Question proposed.

Mr David Marshall (Anson): If it please you, Mr Speaker, you will remember that when the Deputy Prime Minister moved his closure motion with reference to the stages of the Referendum Bill, I urge that it was unnecessary.

Mr Speaker: Order. It was not really a closure motion; it was a guillotine motion.

Mr David Marshall: Thank you for your terminological correction, Mr Speaker. Sir, I think I will be proved right - I was certainly proved right as regards the first part as we ended before midnight yesterday - and I am sincerely hoping that I will be proved right as regards the second part, and it would have been much happier if things could have taken their normal course. I do urge with respect, Mr Speaker, and this might assist the Government - they are conscious that by virtue of their prerogative, and I am not complaining of their prerogative, the Prime Minister has introduced a motion which completely blankets out mine, which is item 11 - the one that I put in with the Member for Queenstown - except for the part thereof which speaks of naming the polling day as four weeks from the date of the Order. Now, Mr Speaker, the issue of four weeks from the date of the Order has been fully discussed in this Assembly - it is true on the basis that, the Bill was a general referendum Bill at the time - but we all recognise that there would be no useful purpose served by rediscussing that issue and, I repeat, I for one am not here to filibuster, Mr Speaker, and since the other part of the motion is covered by the Prime Minister, it is my intention not to move the motion appearing as item No. 11 of the Order Paper, since the Government has anticipated it in the Prime Minister's motion.

Now, in the light of that statement, perhaps the Government will agree with me that it is highly improbable that we would exceed the time limit indicated of the 11th July and they may well wish to consider postponing consideration of this motion, let us say, till Tuesday the 10th and if they are prepared to accept it, I will be happy, Sir, to move under Standing Order, that this motion do stand adjourned to the 10th of July. I am sure that they are no more happy than I am, Sir, to apply guillotine motions which are unnecessary, and I do suggest that this one is unnecessary, Mr Speaker.

Dr Lee Siew Choh (Queenstown): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government have always said that they want to allow full discussion, and here again they want to limit our discussions to only a few days.

The Prime Minister: Point of order, Sir. The point of order being that perhaps the Member for Queenstown may not be aware that he is not necessarily obliged to make a speech just because the Member for Anson has done so, although the Member for Anson has touched upon his motion on the Order Paper, item No, 11, I think. So Mr Speaker, Sir, perhaps you can give the Member for Queenstown and the House a ruling that no Member is thereby obliged to speak; there is no compulsive speaking in this Assembly.

Mr Speaker: That is not a point of order. There is, of course, freedom of speech and the Member for Queenstown can, of course, attack this motion. He is probably going on a different tack. The Member for Anson wishes for a postponement, but the Member for Queenstown considers this is not sufficient time, I suppose.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: You see, Sir, even here he tries to muzzle me.

The Prime Minister: To try to help you.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Of course, he realises that ultimately it may be that it does not help because he has already sold out Singapore and he has already promised to sell out Singapore on time. That is why we have this guillotine. I am sure if the Prime Minister were honest to the people of Singapore; he would inform the people what he has actually promised. Is it because he has already promised the Federation that he would hand over Singapore by a certain date?

Mr Speaker: Order. Let us come back to the guillotine motion, and the only debate can be as to whether or not there should be sufficient time. Dr Lee, nothing further?

Dr Lee Siew Choh: No.

The Prime Minister: All I need say to the Member for Anson is that I am obliged to him for reminding the House that we gave more than ample time in our guillotine motion on the recommittal of the Bill, and I am obliged to him further in his agreeing with our estimation that there is more than ample time for the guillotine on this motion.

Sir I will be happy to postpone the moving of this motion till Tuesday provided he promises me his wholehearted support and asures me that we finish even before Tuesday.

Mr Speaker: I thought the Member said the 10th, i.e. Monday.

The Prime Minister: I beg your Pardon - Tuesday.

Mr Speaker: Yes. The 10th is Tuesday.

Mr David Marshall: The suggestion, Sir, was that the motion should be moved on Tuesday for effect on Wednesday as suggested.

Mr Speaker: Can I suggest that since there might be great disagreement, we take a resolution today? It makes no difference. If it is going to be finished on Tuesday, well it is finished on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister: I am much obliged to you for drawing the logical conclusion - of our respective positions, Mr Speaker, and I bow to your ruling.

Mr Speaker: I think the Prime Minister must not mistake the Chair. There is no ruling at all. It is just a suggestion that we might save some time on Tuesday anyway. Perhaps there might be a debate on that motion an Tuesday.

Mr David Marshall: Then, Sir, may I move, That this motion do stand adjourned to Tuesday, the 10th July, 1962.

The Prime Minister: May I, Sir, in view of the fact that you gave no such ruling, gratefully accept your suggestion, and suggest to the Member for Anson that perhaps some valuable time on Tuesday which might otherwise be used for elaborating some of the finer points of argument of the Member, for Queenstown would otherwise be lost, in his once again trying to feel obliged to have to say something on that motion. I have already saved, himself a few minutes this afternoon and I think we should save himself a few other minutes on Tuesday.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Mr Speaker: Does the Member for Anson insist? I might say that these guillotine motions are not unusual in any Parliament.

Mr Marshall indicated he did not insist.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That the proceedings on the motion in regard to a referendum being held for the people, to decide between two alternatives of reunification standing in my name, and the motion in the names of the Members for Anson and Queenstown that the people of Singapore shall be asked only one question on Polling Day and that Government shall name Polling Day as a day four weeks from the date of the Order therefor, and another motion in the names of the Members for Queenstown and Upper Serangoon that the House condemns the Government for its dishonest and malicious distortion of the Opposition's stand on the merger issue, shall all be brought to a conclusion at 12 midnight on the 11th July, 1962.