DETENTION OF G. RAMAN (Particulars)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education whether Mr G. Raman is still under detention and, if so, whether he will be released soon since he has given a full account of his involvement and renounced the communist cause.

The Minister for Home Affairs and Education (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, G. Raman is presently detained under an Order of Detention for two years. The Government's policy is to release political detainees who have renounced their communist involvement and denounced the use of violence as advocated by the Communist Party of Malaya to topple the elected Government. Many including those involved with G. Raman who have satisfied these conditions have been released.

However, in the case of G. Raman, detention for further interrogation is necessary. After his arrest he gave a handwritten statement of his pro-communist activities. In one part of his statement he described how he accompanied Dr Poh Soo Kai to Masai, Johore, in December 1974 to treat an urban guerilla who was injured in the bomb explosion at Still Road, Singapore, on 20th December, 1974. Members will recall that after that bomb incident the Police had issued a statement requesting doctors and hospitals to report any person seeking treatment for injuries from the incident. This was reported in the Straits Times on 21st December, 1974. For a doctor to have clandestinely gone to the aid and treat the injured terrorist was a very serious matter.

On 28th February, 1977, G. Raman was brought before a District Judge before whom he made a voluntary statement re-affirming his allegation that Dr Poh Soo Kai had gone to Masai to treat the injured terrorist.

As both statement and confession by G. Raman reflected upon the propriety of Dr Poh's professional conduct, G. Raman was brought before the Senior State Counsel to enable the Attorney-General's Chambers to lodge a complaint with the Medical Council against Dr Poh Soo Kai.

At this juncture Raman retracted that portion of his statement relating to Dr Poh Soo Kai and the Masai trip. He must have known that the Attorney-General wanted to use his evidence for legal action against Dr Poh Soo Kai. Raman being a lawyer must have also realised that his own part in the Masai episode could be reported to the Law Society for disciplinary action against himself.

Mr Ho See Beng: Mr Speaker, Sir, apart from retracting that portion of his statement, did G. Raman also retract any other part of his statement?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, G. Raman has not retracted any other part of his statement.