r
OUTWARD TELEGRAM
FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
13/16.
Byt.
52928/20/49
Cypher (0.T.P.)
TO COMMISSIONER-GENERAL S.E.ASIA
Seat 8th April 1949.
23.45 hrs.
IMPORTANT
No.206 Secret.
Addressed to Commissioner-General, S.N.Ásia
Repeated to High Commissiouer, Federation of Malaya
"
rf
No.424
"Governor, Singapore, No.347(COI.COM
please pass copy to Governor)
"Governor, Hong Kong, No.372.
"H.M.Ambassador, Nanking (via Foreign Office)
in 5.4(379)
* HK Bill
Your telegram No.92.
Foreign Political Parties.
Delay in replying to your telegram is regretted. Examination of your proposals has however revealed many complications, connected principally with technical aspecte of present legislation, but I hope to send you finel reply shortly dealing not only with question of policy but with several points concerning the Singapore Ordinance which have been raised by Legal Adviser.
Consideration of this question by Ministers would be facilitated if you could say whether it would be proposed to make any public statement, or to have one in reserve for use in cabe sction proposed is challenged,
In this and if so on what lines thie statement would be. connection you will no doubt agree that the mere fact that a society is a branch of a foreign political party would not by itself be sufficient to justify refusal to registor
If this under Section 4(4) of the Singapore Ordinance. view is accepted, action taken to revoke declarations under Section 2 paragraph (f) and subsequently to refuse registration under Section (4) could not be explained 12 a public statement merely as being in pursuance of a policy to impose a general baa on the operation of Singapore branches of all foreign political parties.
3.
Orateful also to have a list of the foreign political parties involved. It is assumed that no
corresponding action is contemplated against Indian political _associations, but if this assumption is not correct
proposals will have to be considered by Commonwealth Relations Office.