Evening star., 1961-12-10
BELEAGyERED CROSSROADS
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held today it is hard to say
whether the new Socialist Front
or the PAP would win.
Singapore has even a Chinese
university, called Nanyang. The
Malayan government has refused
to recognize it but Singapore does.
Most of the Chinese in Singapore
are Chinese-educa and the
English educated are relatively
few.
The people of Malaga, however,
are basically rurel, working on rice
fields, rubber plantations and tin
mines. The indigenous Malays
work the rice fields and also have
small holdings of rubber. The
British and Chinese own and OPP
crate the tin and rubber planta-
tions. Workers in the mines are
predominantly Chinese while the
laborers on rubber plantations
are Chinese and Indians.
The farmers whose votes have
always played an important part
in every national election, tend to
prefer the moderate way of life.
For its part, Singapore, business
center, always had conservative
governments as it never had q
cohesive well-organized left-wing
party. But the imminent change
came in the first home rule elec-
tionS when the PAP swept to
power in 1854.
Whether a party similar to the
PAP, with prominent leaders of
the community at its head, could
change the political trend in the
federation, is a question often
asked. 1t is doubtful since the
ruling Alliance Government "a
union of the three leading COM
munal parties. Malays, Chinese
and 1ndians) is firmly established
on the mainland. The leftist-
oriented parties, namely the So
cialist Front lin the federation),
are weak. They have neither the
financial support nor the leaders.
Bleak for Singapore
While Malaga will continue to
make rapid progress under the
dynamic leadership of Prime Min
lister Rahman, a national hero and
the father of independence, who
is referred to often as the
"Tengku," Singapore is facing
even bleaker days.
The Socialist Front has limited
that it was prepared to cooperate
with the Communists so long as
they did not stand in their way.
It's leader. DR.. Lee Slew Choh, a
medical doctor. said recently: IF
the Communists stood in the way
of an independent. democratic,
noncommuniSt. socialist Malaga
then we are prepared to join issue
with them. If not, there was no
reason to enter into theological
battles that did not exist" DR.. Lee
claimed that "a of the 81 branch
es of the Peoples Action Party had
come out in support of the new
political party.
Prime Minister Lee has warned
against an independent Singapore,
because that according to him
meant a Communist Singapore
"and there will be repercussions
all around both in the federation
and other territories"
Mr.. Lee said that being non-
Communist did not mean pas
sivsly being devoured, but anti
Communist conjured up, particu-
larly in Chinese minds, Chaing
Kai-shek and Ngo Dinh Diem. He
thought that DR.. Lee sincerely
believed that a united front gov
ernment with the Communists
was possible and all that the
British were interested in were
their bases.
Unfortunately, in the Singapore
of today, there does not seem
to be any place for any political
party but a left-wing force, so it
is important that Prime Minister
Lee succeeds in leading Singapore
towards independence through
merger.
Delivering grim warning last
month of the dangers ahead for
Singapore and the federation If
there were no merger, Mr.. Lee
said: IF you don't have merger
you are going to have a lot Of
trouble, not only between the two
countries but between peoples in
side the two countries who are
divided into pro-merger and anti
merger lines"