No Discrimination In Future Malay Evacuations

Northern Advocate, 24 December 1941, Page 4

No Discrimination In Future Malay Evacuations

(Rec. 2 p.m.)

LONDON, Dec. 23

Henceforth, if it becomes necessary to yield any district throughout Malaya to Japan, European Government officers will remain with the native peoples to look after their needs as far as possible, even if in enemyhands, says a Singapore message. The action of the military authorities in evacuating Europeans from Penang has called forth comment in Singapore where the Governor (Sir Shenton Thomas) met leading members of the Indian, Chinese and Malay communities and said he had discussed the evacuation of Penang with Lieut.-General A. E, Percival, and had accepted his assurances that the withdrawal of the military garrison was essential from a military viewpoint. Told Not to Resist The Eurasian, Malay and Chinese companies of volunteers were offered the choice of being evacuated, but elected to remain with their wives and families. They were instructed not to resist the Japanese, but to assist in policing the town. The governor also gave an assurance that in the event 0/ any evacuation of the people from any area there would be no discrimination of race, colour, or creed. Ordinary Labour Fails The Colonial Secretary stressed the fact that the ordinary labour required for essential services had failed, though the volunteers’ passive defences had played their part nobly. He pointed out that one of the most horrible features of the failure of the ordinary services was that the bodies of those killed in the first days of the raids were still unburied. Rangoon Raided The Domei News Agency claims that Japanese planes made a raid on Rangoon from an undisclosed air base and intensively bombed the aerodrome, hangars, wharves, railway station, Government offices and barracks. Fifteen British fighters were encountered. All the Japanese planes returned. The BBC states that nine Japanese bombers and a fighter were shot down. From New Delhi it is reported that some fires were started during a short Japanese raid on Rangoon, Some enemy planes are believed to have been shot down.