INDONESIAN SABOTEURS AND LOCAL FIFTH COLUMNISTS (Statement by the Prime Minister)

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): Mr Speaker, Sir, in the past few weeks, my Government has been kept informed by the Ministry for Internal Security of the discovery of a group of Indonesian saboteurs and local fifth columnists who have plans to disrupt the economic life of Singapore and generally to cause alarm and despondency by terrorism. At present, there are 24 persons under detention in Singapore, five of whom are Indonesian nationals. Of the other 19, 18 are Malays and one is a Chinese. The Prime Minister of Malaysia has today made a statement* on the activities of these men in Parliament and I table a copy of it in this House for the information of Members.

• Appendix, cols. 965-70. STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE THE MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER, TENGKU ABDUL RAHMAN PUTRA, IN THE DEWAN RA'AYAT (Cols 0965-0970)

Copies of the Statement handed in to the Clerk.

Sir, it is fortunate indeed that this first wave of saboteurs has been relatively unsuccessful and that their network has been extensively disrupted. However, it is expected that further and more determined attempts will be made by more intensively trained commando-type saboteurs, both Indonesians and local fifth columnists. All people must be on the alert and immediately report any suspicious movement or activity to the police through the 999 telephone system.

Intelligence information so far available shows a concerted plan starting early in 1960 for cultural and ideological penetration of groups either sympathetic to Indonesia or hostile to this country. It is worth noting that these activities commenced a year before Malaysia was first mooted by the Tunku in May 1961. From June to November 1962, over 50 persons went to Indonesia from Singapore as volunteers for the liberation of West Irian. Seventy went from the other States in the peninsula. At the end of 1962, these volunteers returned to Singapore and Malaya. Indonesian Consulate officials here and Indonesian Embassy officials in K.L. maintained contact with them. From April to September this year, a number of these persons who were already politically indoctrinated were sent for further training courses at Tanjong Sekupang, a few miles south of Singapore in the Rhio Islands.

In their operations in Singapore, the local representatives of this Indonesian intelligence organisation at Tanjong Sekupang used three dummy commercial organisations as cover for their intelligence operations and for the finances required -

(1) G.E.M.I. otherwise known as the Gerakan Ekonomi Melayu Indonesia;

(2) Duma Corporation at Bussorah Street and

(3) Malaysia Indonesia Corporation at Beach Road.

The training of these fifth columnists at Tanjong Sekupang consisted of military close combat, sabotage and political propaganda against Malaysia. Their instructions on return to Singapore were to sabotage petrol dumps, railway lines and, in particular, the Tebrau water works and the water pipeline to Singapore, and the Pasir Panjang Power Station. In the event of their being unable to reach these targets, they were instructed to explode their charges anywhere in Singapore with the object of causing damage and public alarm.

Members will recall that there have been five explosions in Singapore so far. The leading Indonesian national arrested is M. Sihombeng, former Indonesian Consulate official in Singapore and an official of the D.U.M.A. Corporation and the Malaysia Indonesia Corporation. He was arrested at 7.30 p.m. on 10th December as he was about to flee from Singapore to Pulau Samboe.

Following upon the arrest and interrogation of the 24 persons, a large quantity of explosives, Sten guns and hand grenades were recovered. However, it is also known that some explosives and weapons have been passed on to other fifth columnists who are still at large.

Typical of the kind of person who has been drawn into these traitorous activities in return for cash, arms and a sense of power and mystery in a cloak-and-dagger outfit is Osman Bin Zainal Abidin, former Hang Tuah leader and detainee. Interrogation disclosed that they were planning, with the aid of the Indonesian Government, to stage an armed revolution and overthrow the Government of Malaysia.

It is known that nine Chinese West Irian returned volunteers, including a young woman who acquired temporary fame for a parachute jump, started their training at Tanjong Sekupang in the Rhio Islands on the 1st December, some 17 days ago. It is also known that some of the explosives now missing have passed through the hands of Chinese. Explosives and weapons have been recovered from places as strange as the hedge behind a house near the Chief Justice's residence at Nassim Road, the backlane of a house where a private generator supplied electricity to Kampong Amber in Katong, the back of a mosque at Jalan Abadi off Jalan Eunos, and at Kallang Park.

`The operation of these saboteurs will be made difficult if the public give prompt and quick information on any suspicious movement of persons or cars, in particular of any person found carrying packages in plastic travel bags under unusual circumstances, unusual either in time, place, or manner.

Further, all West Irian volunteers who have returned to Singapore and are not connected with this intelligence organisation for sabotage should report to the C.I.D. as soon as possible with their present places of abode and employment.