TNAG-2099-FCO40-2988-HM-Overseas-Civil-Service-(HMOCS)-policy-matters-1990 — Page 17

PERSONAL

AND

LONIAL PENSIONS: MALAYA

CONFIDENTIAL

1.

The Federation of Malaya was granted independence on 31 August 1957. In the preceding years, much discussion was given to the process of granting independence and among the issues to be tackled was that of the replacement of British public officers, members of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS), serving in Malaya by Malayan officers ie Malayanisation.

2.

In the same year, a

In 1954 plans were drawn up in London for the training of Malayans to replace expatriate public officers. Malayanisation Committee was set up in Kuala Lumpur. Its report apparently argued for the gradual

the gradual replacement of expatriate public officers by Malayans through natural wastage.

3.

In 1956 there was a Constitutional Conference on Malaya held in London, which considered independence. Malayanisation was also discussed. Malayan leaders appear

appear to have accepted the guidelines laid down in Colonial 306 of 1954, that any government gaining political independence should undertake certain guarantees as regards the position of British public officers. It was by 1956 clear that the process of Malayanisation must be speeded up to satisfy Malayan leaders and the Conference agreed that the principal, of premature retirement might be introduced for expatriate officers. A second Malayanisation Committee was subsequently set up. This recommended the principal of premature retirement but accepted that a number of expatriates would have to stay on after independence until sufficient fully qualified Malayans were available for service. There was to be an accelerated but

but controlled Malayan- isation programme in three phases (see attachment). The first stage involved 23 departments, or sections within departments, which were to be Malayanised by no later than 1 July 1960; stage two involved 17 services, to be completed by 1 June 1962, and stage three; chiefly technical and professional personnel, by 1965. The details of this scheme were spelled out in the 10th Schedule of the Federation of Malaya Agreement, appended by law in 1956 to the Federation Agreement of 1948. (Copy attached).

4.

The scheme uses the phrase "entitled officer" to mean an officer entitled to Malayanisation compensation, ie an officer on the pensionable establishment or on probation for it, on or after the "operative date", 1 July 1957. Each entitled officer was required to indicate in writing before 1 July 1957 his preference as to remaining in the service of the independent Federation or retiring immediately under the financial provisions of the scheme. The Federal Government then replied within two months to those wishing to stay on, either inviting them to SO do, or indicating that their services

services would be no longer required. It appears that most who wanted to stay on were invited

invited to do so, and these were then informed of the approximate period of time their services would be required. Based on this information, these officers then made the decision as to going or staying. Those who stayed on continued to serve in the independent Federation on the same terms and conditions under which they had been recruited to the HMOCS. These