Subversives Blamed

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31989, 16 May 1969, Page 11

Subversives Blamed

(From

DAVID EXEL,

N.Z.P.A.

staff correspondent)

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15.

The virtual suspension of Malaysia’s Constitution last night came as a climax to 36 hours of rioting and four days of intense political speculation after the shock inroads made by the elections into the Alliance Government’s majority.

The words, “terrorists,” “Communists," “subversives,” “Indonesian confrontation” and “Malayan emergency,” used so frequently in the years from 1948 to 1960, appeared again in the announce-

ment by the Prime Minister (Tunku Abdul Rahman) that his Government was assuming sweeping powers. As weary troops and the police battled with rioters for the second successive night in Kuala Lumpur, the Tunku said the King had given his Government power to suspend Parliamentary and State elections in any State where the electoral process was not complete.

Other powers assumed by the Government include:— Right of entry and search of any property.

Ability to suspend or amend any written law. The right to deprive any person of citizenship.

The right to try an offender against the new regulations in any court, and even in camera.

The revival of the “essential regulations” made under the proclamation of 1964 for dealing with Indonesia’s confrontation. Earlier in the evening, the Government had called up Territorials and Army reservists to add to the reinforcements gained from its emergency mobilisation of the Police Volunteer Reserve. Even with all these measures, however, security

forces are still thin on the ground compared with previous periods of racial rioting in Malaysia; an extra battalion of infantry was recently sent to Sabah to counter what many observers regarded as a phantom threat of large-scale infiltration by Filipinos. Whether the Government might have to bring back some of its forces from Sabah to deal with the West Malaysian threat was widely questioned last night; and the issue gained more urgency after the Tunkii's assumption of emergency powers which, although not unexpected, will certainly be read by many Chinese as .an attempt to revert to the pre-election position of undisputed Malay political power. The rioting was touched off by Malay plans for counterdemonstrations against pre-dominantly-Chinese electoral victory rallies. It was clearly racial in character, the Malays showing at least as much aggressive intent as their Chinese counterparts. Areas of predominantly-Malay population were the centre of disturbances, while predomin-antly-Chinese areas, such as Penang—where Left-wing parties are strong—reported no incidents.

While revenge-seeking Chinese gangs certainly must bear a full share of responsibility for murder, it is difficult to reconcile observable facts with Tunku Abdul Rahman’s claim that “it is obvious that a real attempt has been made by disloyal elements to overthrow this Government by force of arms.”

The Deputy Prime Minister (Tun Abdul Razak) attributes blame to Opposition political parties. “The Communists and subversive elements are always there ready to exploit the situation fully,” he said. “We have clear evidence to show that they have prepared for this situation and, as a result, we have this trouble already in the Kuala Lumpur district.”

Tunku Abdul Rahman was even more explicit: “The terrorists,” (the Communist terrorists of the Malayan emergency) “under cover of political parties, are trying for a come-back,” he declared. Communists have usually been publicly blamed for racial disturbances in Malaysia in the past, but Malaysian Chinese on this occasion may be less than normally willing to accept such a simple “solution" to racial antagonisms.