THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
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CONFIDENTIAL
C.P. (55) 162
21st October, 1955
Printed for the Cabinet. October 1955
CABINET
Copy No. 59
THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION IN SINGAPORE AND THE
FEDERATION OF MALAYA
MEMORANDUM BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
I am shortly circulating to the Colonial Policy Committee a detailed analysis of the situation and major problems in Singapore and the Federation of Malaya. In the meantime the Prime Minister has suggested that the Cabinet would be interested to read a shorter account of my recent negotiations in those territories. As my colleagues were in close touch with the discussions in Singapore at the time, I have recounted these in an appendix to this paper. I should like in what follows to complete the picture with an account of my talks in the Federation of Malaya and of the developments which have since taken place.
2. On 21st July (C.M. (55) 25th Conclusions, Minute 8) the Cabinet approved certain proposals which I had put forward for the line which I should take in discussing constitutional matters with the Rulers and political leaders in the Federation. I proposed that I should insist that, before there could be any fresh consideration of a further measure of internal self-government in the Federation, it would be necessary to have talks in London on a number of vital issues on which it was, in our view, essential to reach agreement as conditions precedent to examination of other constitutional questions. The most important of these were external defence, internal security, the financial relationship between Her Majesty's Government and the Federation Government and the general constitutional relationship between the two Governments. Subject to that, we could accept the proposal for a commission to review the constitution of the Federation within the limits set by prior agreement upon the vital issues. Both the Alliance and the Rulers had already adopted the idea of some such commission, although they held different views upon its composition.
3. The order of my negotiations in the Federation was as follows. I first had a long talk with the High Commissioner and the Chief Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, at which I outlined my ideas and ascertained that the Chief Minister's first reaction to them was broadly favourable. I told him that I proposed next to discuss them with the Conference of Rulers, and he agreed that that was the right course. I then discussed them in some detail with the Conference of Rulers. Their initial reaction was also broadly favourable but they said that they would like to have more time to consider the matter; and it was therefore arranged that they should meet the High Commissioner again for that purpose in September. The meeting took place on 29th September and the Rulers confirmed their agreement to my proposals. After meeting the Rulers I had two further meetings with the Alliance Ministers, first informally and second at a session of the full Federal Executive Council. Their main interest has throughout concentrated on securing agreement to the appointment of a constitutional commission, which took pride of place in their election manifesto, and they at first showed some hesitation in accepting the need for preliminary talks in London. In the end, however, they did accept it, and I for my part agreed in principle to the appointment of the proposed commission on the understanding that the London talks took place first.
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