EMERGENCY POWERS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30216, 22 August 1963, Page 7

EMERGENCY POWERS

Bill Passed In Malaya (N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 21. The Malayan Parliament last night passed the Malaysia Bill to form the federation of Malaya, Singapore and British Borneo. The voting was 73 to 15. In debate before the vote, the Deputy-Premier and Defence Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, said the Malayan Government wanted emergency law to deal with the effects of ’’confrontation.” Confrontation is an Indonesian expression for military and political demonstration before Malaya, Britain and the proposed Malaysian Federation. Tun Razak was defending a clause of the bill saying the King might approve emergency laws if he is satisfied Malaysia or any part of it is threatened in its security or economic life. Opposition members asked why the change was necessary. The Minister said the Government had in mind something that was neither war nor internal disturbance, but “a cold war may be a confrontation, where you would be surrounded, and blockaded. and economic trouble could arise.” Mr Tan Phock Kim, speaking for the opposition Leftwing Socialist Front, said it looked as if the Government was seeking absolute power for the suppression of its political opponents.