COMMUNISTS IN MALAYA

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25548, 16 July 1948, Page 7

COMMUNISTS IN MALAYA

PLANS TO PROCLAIM SOVIET REPUBLIC REPORT IN SINGAPORE SINGAPORE, July 14. The Malayan Communists are expected to proclaim a Soviet Republic of Malaya in the first week of August, it was reliably learned in Singapore to-day. . They are expected soon afterwards to seek a trial of strength on Singapore Island, possibly with attacks against strategic installations and police stations. At the same time they will try to foment further industrial trouble. The authorities are taking the strongest counter-measures to prevent the infiltration of Communist leaders from the mainland to Singapore. It is believed that the CommissionerGeneral in South-east Asia (Mr Malcolm MacDonald) had this possible development in mind when he warned in a 1 recent broadcast that terrorism might shortly spread to Singapore. The police have already rounded up most of the undesirable elements, and it is confidently believed that they are powerful enough on the limited spaces of Singapore Island to deal effectively with any terrorist challenge. Colonel W. N. Gray, a former Inspec-tor-General of the Palestine Police, is expected in many quarters in Kuala Lumpur to become the next High Commissioner of the Federation of Malaya in succession to Sir Edward Gent. Colonel Gray is at present in Kuala Lumpur advising the police. Events of the last 48 hours, particularly the attack on the Batu Arang coal mine, give rise to the belief that there are not enough troops in the country to afford adequate protection to the inhabitants and to round up the terrorists. It is believed that former British jungle fighters with experience in Burma will be invited to join a special irregular corps to seek out these gangs. A serious deficiency in Malaya at present is the shortage of wireless

equipment. A country-wide network of wireless sets is needed to speed up communications and counteract the terrorist practice of cutting telephone wires before launching well-planned attacks.