Malaysia: Merger Is a Must
Friday, Jul. 27, 1962
Ever since its victorious, twelve-year guerrilla war against
Communist rebels, rubber-rich Malaya has been an eye of calm amidst
the storm of Southeast Asia. From its plantations comes 40% of the
world's rubber, and scores of new schools and factories give
evidence of its quietly booming economy. But for some time Malaya
has cast a wary eye at the spread of Communist influence directly
to the south. On the island state of Singapore, Red-lining
extremists threaten to topple the local government, and the
British-run territories of Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo (see
map) are prey to the expansionist aims of Indonesia's left-leaning
President Sukarno.
To prevent Singapore from becoming an Asian Cuba off Malaya's
coast and to stimulate the development of the backward Borneo
territories, Malayan Prime Minister Tengku (Prince) Abdul Rahman
last year proposed a sensible solution: the formation of a
Malaysian Federation.
No Altruism. The Tengku's proposal would create a new
independent nation of 10 million people with an area a little
smaller than Japan. The federation would provide new political
stability and end the "colonialism" propaganda issue, which has
been a feeding ground for Communist growth. Malaya could use
Singapore as a port instead of competing with it and could channel
economic and technical aid into the Borneo territories with their
rich oil and rubber resources. "There's not a single railroad track
in all of Sarawak," says Abdul Rahman, "and not one road connecting
any of the territories with each other." But the Tengku was not
being just altruistic about the Borneo lands; he wants their
inclusion in the federation because, being non-Chinese, they would
preserve the existing cultural balance and keep the Malay-Moslem
population from being swamped by the influx of Singapore's
1,250,000 Chinese.
Last week the Tengku was in London hopeful of hammering out the
final details that would make his plan a reality. Britain has
already tentatively okayed the federation, exacting only the
promise that it could have continued use of its military base in
Singapore. Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo have all indicated a
willingness to join, mainly because it would give them their
independence far sooner than they might otherwise have
expected.
Only Singapore remains a stumbling block.
Chaotic Alternative. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew is
fighting to prevent Red rabble-rousers from ousting his government
before the federation can be established. The
once solid majority of Lee's Political Action Party in the
Singapore Legislative Assembly has been dissipated through
defections to a Communist-front known as the Barisan
Socialists, who have been able to marshal tremendous support
among the island's underfed, underemployed, predominantly Chinese
masses.
Lee's all too nimble shifting of position from
right to left in the past has also cost him
conservative supporters, who now maintain the P.A.P. in power only
because they regard it as a far lesser evil than Communism.
Under the terms he proposes, the island would maintain a certain
measure of autonomy by controlling its own labor and education
policies, would let Malaya provide for internal and external
security. Communist subversion would therefore be the
responsibility of Malaya's powerful and expert police
system.
Naturally the Barisan Socialists rant that Malaya's government
is "reactionary, repressive and misguided." scream
that the Malaysia Federation plan is a "sellout" that would make
Singapore's Chinese "second-class
citizens."
Lee is committed to a referendum on the federation
question and is campaigning hard to rally his dwindling support
behind his program for partial merger. Aware that time is running
out, he bluntly lays on the line the alternative to Singapore's
joining Malaysia. "I'm not threatening chaos," he says. "I'm
predicting it.'
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,827471-1,00.html
Note the bias in the article as protraying Barisan Socialis as
"communist front", when in fact it is only a left wing political
party.
PAP in their official propaganda also uses the same bias
terminology to label Barisan Socialis as "communist front'. This is
to manipulate public opinion.