Lee Against Secession

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30759, 25 May 1965, Page 17

Lee Against Secession

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) KUALA LUMPUR, May 24.

The Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunka Abdul Rahman, has called on Malays to be calm and patient in the face of statements by the Singapore Premier, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Radio Malaysia reported today.

The radio said the Tunku told those at a rally at Kuantan, eastern Malaya, last night, they should not let themselves get upset. The Chinese, a practicalminded people, w'ere not accepting Mr Lee as a leader, he said. Mr Lee’s multi-racial but mainly-Chinese People’s Action Party has placed itself behind a united opposition front.

Malay nationalists claim Mr Lee is out to destroy their privileged position. Last night at Penang, northern Malaya, Dato Syed Jaafar Albar, secretary-gen-

era! of the Tunku’s United Malays’ National Organisation, charged Mr Lee with hinting at the secession of Singapore from the federation. If he wanted secession, he should say so now. “I repeat, Mr Lee is a danger to the peace of Malaysia, and I urge immediate action before it is too late,” he said. In Singapore yesterday Mr Lee said he had no intention of secession.

Addressing a union gathering, he said: “The question

of secession is out, any change must be a step forward, and not backward." He denied he was antiMalay. The People’s Action Party wanted to help the Malays, and was prepared to compete with other parties to see who could do so better.

Mr Lee appeared to be rejecting the idea of secession before it gathered any force He said he did not envisage a breakaway from Malaysia or a Singapore State.