RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL BY CAUSEWAY (Statement by the Deputy Prime Minister)

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Mr Speaker, Sir, the House and all people of goodwill will share our regrets and deep disappointment that today the Causeway has failed to bridge the gulf between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The Causeway has seen historical moments since it was built 42 years ago. There was a brief period of a month or so when the Causeway was blown up during the war and traffic between the mainland and Singapore ceased, but this was a physical damage which was quickly repaired so that communication by road and rail between the two territories was resumed. Now for the second time in its history the Causeway's economic and strategic importance is once more brought to the fore. The political separation of Singapore and Malaysia has today reached a climax in the announcement by the Malaysian Minister for Home Affairs of the intentions of the Malaysian Government to impose restrictions on the entry of Singapore citizens into Malaya, particularly restrictions on those who travel by the Causeway. There are on the average 20,000 persons a day who move across the Causeway from Singapore to Malaya and about the same number of persons travel from Johore into Singapore. The number of persons who will suffer any inconvenience caused by the proposed restrictions is therefore not small, but I am sure that Singapore citizens are patient and they will no doubt bear up with it. I had hoped that any decisions on immigration control at the Causeway would have received first the consideration of the joint Singapore/Malaysian Immigration Committee, so that the problem can be considered from all angles, but it was unfortunate indeed that a decision has been taken unilaterally by the Malaysian Government. Soon after the break of Singapore from Malaysia on the 23rd August, 1965, I wrote to the Malaysian Minister for Home Affairs suggesting that the two Governments co-ordinate policies on immigration, particularly with regard to travel across the Causeway. The Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister replied on 16th September, 1965, agreeing to the proposal and suggested that the immigration officials of the two Governments should meet to examine the problem. This meeting of officials was held on 11th October, 1965. The Malaysian and Singapore sides were led by their respective Heads of Immigration.

The meeting agreed that it was desirable that the existing free movement across the Causeway should be maintained. There should be a co-ordinated policy of immigration control between the two territories. It was also agreed that the present practice of common visas for Malaysia and Singapore should continue, i.e, visas for Malaysia will be valid for Singapore and vice-versa, except where special conditions are applied. It was also agreed that in order to preserve the existing free movement across the Causeway, both Governments would issue Exemption Orders to provide for entry of persons from the States of Malaya into Singapore and vice-versa without a permit or a pass.

Under the Exemption Orders, provision would be made to prohibit undesirables from either territory from entering the other territory.

The machinery by which Malaysia could exercise immigration control at the Causeway was, therefore, already in existence, and if there were persons whom the Malaysian Government considered undesirable elements, or persona non-grata, or who were held to have subversive intentions, these could have easily been stopped by the Singapore immigration authorities or the Singapore Police from travelling into Malaya via the Causeway. It has, therefore, come as a surprise to us that this official machinery was brushed aside, and the facility offered by Singapore Immigration to assist has been ignored.

For the many Singapore citizens who travel across the Causeway to Johore Bahru to patronise Johore satay, mee stalls and other establishments more esoteric, for those who take weekends off to Mersing and Kota Tinggi, and for international tourists who wish to see the odd pineapple or rubber plantation in Johore, these restrictions certainly must make them think twice whether it will be worth their while to endure custom, immigration and police checks, in order that they can pursue the little pleasures which nearby Johore may offer.

Mr Speaker, this is too serious a matter for us to treat as a game of ping-pong. It will be childish to answer every Malaysian ping with a pong. The Singapore Government will not retaliate by requiring Malaysian citizens in Singapore to report at police stations. We do not consider Malaysian citizens as aliens even though legally they are distinguished from us by citizenship and, in any case, even aliens in Singapore do not have to report at police stations. It is only criminal law supervisees who are required to report at police stations in Singapore. We do not think that anyone who has intentions to subvert Singapore or to jeopardise the internal security of the State will want to report himself at a police station and announce his intentions to the sergeant-in-charge. We do not treat Malaysian citizens in Singapore either as undesirable aliens, subversives or criminals. Malaysians who are visitors or residents in Singapore are not required to report at our police stations.

On August the 9th, the day of Singapore's separation from Malaysia last year, I had announced that the Singapore end of the Causeway would always be open to Malaysians. We do not intend to impose any restrictions unless and until the Malaysian Government initiated them, because we consider the people across the Causeway our fellow brethren. It is with sorrow indeed that we hear of the Malaysian Government's intention to impose a border pass or visa requirement for visitors from Singapore in six months' time. I do not know whether the consequences of such a policy have been carefully studied, what impact it would create in the minds of those who, for business or other reasons, travel very regularly between Singapore and Malaya.

I do not know whether this scheme of immigration control is to be a permanent feature. Meanwhile, we have to be patient and hope that it is not so. On the other hand, if such immigration restrictions become a permanent feature of Malaysian policy, then obviously Singapore must re-examine the position. Until the picture becomes clearer, we intend to keep our end of the Causeway open.

I had hoped that the assurance which I had given on the night of Friday, the 15th of April, that Singapore will not be used as an instrument to injure Malaysia would have been accepted in good faith. It has come to us as a great disappointment indeed that, in spite of this, such a precipitate step has been taken by the Malaysian Government.

I would like to repeat that recognition of a country's independence is a unilateral act, but it does not necessarily follow that there will be diplomatic representation simply because of recognition. In any case, according to a Straits Times report on Friday, the 15th of April, 1966, despatched from Bangkok by a special correspondent, an Indonesian official who is very close to Lieut.-Gen. Suharto and Dr Adam Malik has described the question of re-establishing an Indonesian mission in Singapore as of secondary importance. The Indonesian official was further reported to have said that Indonesia had diplomatic relations with many countries where they had no diplomatic missions. We assure the Malaysian Government that the question of Indonesia setting up a diplomatic mission in Singapore will not be decided except after discussion with the Malaysian Government.

No one denies that our experience in the last war is that Malaya is indefensible without Singapore, and so also Singapore is indefensible without Malaya, i.e. Malaysia today. It is common sense that it would be folly for Singapore to permit itself to be used to confront Malaysia. I would like to reiterate to the people of Malaysia and the Malaysian Government that we will not allow Singapore to be used as a base by anybody to threaten the security of Malaysia. It is indeed a pity that the Malaysian Government has taken this precipitate action by imposing Causeway travel restrictions in anticipation of what it thinks Singapore may do. It is our hope that our good intentions towards the people of Malaysia and the Malaysian Government will be clear by our acceptance of the invitation by the Malaysian Government to attend a meeting on mutual defence interests and economic co-operation between the officials of the two Governments which will be held on May the 9th.

Inche Rahamat Bin Kenap (Geylang Serai): (In Malay): Mr Speaker, I wish to ask questions on the Ministerial statement.

Mr Speaker: Yes. But I would like to remind Members that they may only ask questions strictly on the statement.

Inche Rahamat Bin Kenap: (In Malay): Mr Speaker, I wish to ask four questions on the Deputy Prime Minister's statement. The first is: until today have the Indonesians made official contact regarding its intention to recognise Singapore as a sovereign and independent Republic?

Mr Speaker: Just a minute. Let us take it question by question, shall we? Dr Toh.

Dr Toh Chin Chye: We have not received any official contact from the Government of Indonesia.

Inche Rahamat Bin Kenap: (In Malay): Since Indonesia announced its intention to recognise Singapore, have official or unofficial negotiations between Indonesia and Singapore been started?

Dr Toh Chin Chye: There has been no consultation, in the sense that the Member means, between the Singapore Government and the Malaysian Government. I, of course, would like to remind the House that insofar as the right of Singapore to establish diplomatic relations with foreign countries is concerned, this is entirely within our own province, and therefore consultations are not really necessary. But where such diplomatic relations may impinge on the defence interests of the two countries, it is natural that discussions should take place.

Inche Rahamat Bin Kenap: (In Malay): Has the Malaysian Government informed us officially regarding its action to impose travel restrictions on the people of Singapore at the Causeway?

Dr Toh Chin Chye: The Minister for Foreign Affairs tells me that he has not received any official notification from the Government of Malaysia of the police checks and other immigration restrictions which they propose to impose at their end of the Causeway.

Inche Rahamat Bin Kenap: (In Malay): What steps will be taken by the Singapore Government to alleviate the difficulties experienced by the people of Singapore when they cross the Causeway?

Dr Toh Chin Chye: It is, of course, within the province of the Malaysian Government to erect whatever barriers they wish at their end of the Causeway and impose any checks that they think are desirable, and we cannot interfere. Naturally we ourselves would like to alleviate any difficulties which Singapore citizens may face when they cross over the Causeway, and I have no doubt that when the Minister for Foreign Affairs duly receives an Official Note from the Malaysian Government, he will take steps to ask for clarification on what checks will be required of Singapore citizens and how such checks and restrictions can be alleviated.