CO537-4835 — Page 188

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

13/16.

Aft.. 52928/20/49

Cypher (0.T.P.)

TO COMMISSIONER-GENERAL S.E. ASIA

Sent 8th April 1949.

23.45 hrs.

IMPORTANT

No.206 Secret.

Addressed to Commissioner-General, S., Asia

Repeated to High Commissioner, Federation of Malaya

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#

M

No.424

Governor, Singapore, No.347(coioOM please pass copy to Governor) "Governor, Hong Kong, No.372.

"H.M.Ambassador, Nanking (via Foreign Office)

in 5.4/8/9)

* PK fier

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 aspects 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,

2.

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 case sction proposed is challenged, and if so on what lines this statement would be. In this 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 register under Section 4(4) of the Singapore Ordinance. If this view is accepted, action taken to evoke declarations under Section 2 paragraph (f) and subsequently to fuse registration under Section (4) could not be explained ia a public statement merely as being in pursuance of a policy to impose a general ban on the operation of Singapore branches of all foreign political parties.

3.

Grateful elso to have a list of the foreign political parties involved. It is assumed theì po

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.