12
463h nether wracking for the set
Ref. Mi Carter's note of 2/6
have
22/6
the ff. in quation
AA.
from live
yet comic
Puvali Office?
те
Mr. Gaminara
Indirect Elections in Singapore
Mr. Stacpoole sent you a note about this in connection with Mr. Thorpe's letter to the Prime Minister about representation on the Hong Kong legislature.
You may be interested to know that Professor Hood Phillips who was the constitutional adviser to the Singapore Constitutional Commission 1953 wrote as follows in the Law Quarterly Review, Vol 71, 1955:
"Much more of the Singapore Constitutional Commission's time was occupied in discussing the apparently unimportant questions of the representat- ion of the Chambers of Commerce and nominated members. The three main Chambers of Commerce at present elect one member each to the Legislative Council. These are the Singapore Chamber of Commerce (European), the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Indian Chamber of Commerce. In former timesethe Governor of the Straits Settlements would naturally look to the recognised leaders of commerce for unofficial advisers, and from 1921 the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and the Penang Chamber of Commerce each elected one member to the Legislative Council. But the majority opinion, which prevailed, was that this representation was an historical relic that had outlived its usefulness: which indeed would be inconsistent with the new democratic institutions envisaged. The influence of the Chinese Chamber in favour of retention was especially strong. Many of its members are aliens, and therefore have no direct representation in the legislature. Hence the Chinese Chamber tends to have a politifal as well as cultural influence among its members. The Chambers of Commerce, how- ever, were not intended to be political bodies A reconstituted and strengthened Trade Advisory council to advise the new Minister of Commerce should neet the needs of the business community. One argument which might have been pressed if the representation of the Chambers of Commerce was ret- ained, is that similar representation could not logically have been denied to other functional bodies, notably trade unions... (page 63)
11
If you should want to see the whole article, the Review is in our Library.
Hr Golden.
Mood
(Naomi Good) Constitutions Dept.
12 June 1967
now attached
M. Sid Sreaves 3/7.
You have some
Avering out
8.
Req. on pp.
13/6
Cowes, for ins fiè,
わく
2.7.67