CO129-591-12 Military Administration- Civil affairs- directives to force commander and senior officials 24-2-1945 - 13-9-1945 — Page 145

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Administration, supplies required by the civil population to a

standard necessary to prevent disease and unrest

and to the extent necessary to ensure that the Commander is not

hampered in his operations. Sufficient supplies will be

demanded for 6 months for the whole of Malaya. In addition you

will demand additional supplies in the form of Inducement Goods

for military labour or for labour employed directly for military

purposes should you consider it necessary to do so to ensure proper

supplies of labour. Other necessary supplies for the civil

population of the liberated territory during the period of Military

Administration may be procured by the Colonial Office and for these

you will provide such transportation and other facilities within your

Command as may be possible in the circumstances of the case. All

supplies for the civil needs of the territory for the periods

following the 6 months military provisions are being procured

through civil channels as a Colonial Office responsibility and for

these, also, you will provide such transportation and other

facilities within your Command as may be possible.

7.

It is the policy of His Majesty's Government that the

Administration of the territories in question should be transferred

to the responsibility of the C.0. as soon as possible as and in so

far as conditions are such as to enable the latter to function. It

will be for you to recommend when and in what areas such transfer

can take place without embarrassment to military operations bearing

in mind that so far as the Malayan mainland areas are concerned

(Excluding Singapore) it is likely to be impracticable for the

Colonial Office to take over responsibility until the whole of that

area can be so transferred. Subject to military exigencies, the

Government of the civil population during the period of Military

Administration in Malaya will be carried on in the various

administrative spheres in accordance with long-term policy which

the Colonial Office has in mind to pursue when it resumes

responsibility for the civil administration of the territory.

order that you may be aware of this policy and be in a position to

pursue it so far as circumstances and military considerations

permit, you will be supplied from time to time with long-term

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/policy

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